Resolve a Public IP Address
- Explain that the request contacts external services and reveals the source network address to them.
- Run
bin/external-ipwith a short timeout. It queries multiple HTTPS endpoints and validates returned values as IP addresses. - Report consensus separately for IPv4 and IPv6. If services disagree, return all observations and do not guess; VPNs, proxies, split egress, DNS, or endpoint family can explain differences.
- Do not label an address as a permanent home or device identity. It represents observed public egress at that time.
Read references/interpretation.md before using the result in firewall or allowlist decisions.