Understanding IP Types
Learn how residential and hosting network labels are inferred and why they are not definitive.
IPDO · Documentation team · Updated
Residential and hosting networks
An IP type label is an estimate based on network, ISP, organization, and connection data available to IPDO. A residential label generally points to a consumer access provider. A hosting or IDC label generally points to a cloud, data-center, or server-hosting network.
Providers classify networks differently and may label the same organization differently. Some businesses operate access and hosting services under related names, and some residential connections use addresses registered to a larger network operator. The label can therefore be unknown or incorrect.
What this label does not tell you
Residential does not mean safe, private, or used by a person. Hosting does not mean malicious. Network type alone cannot reliably identify a VPN, proxy, or the physical location of a device. Review the location, ASN, and security signals together, and treat each as an estimate from its source.