IP REPUTATION 101

What does an IP reputation score really mean?

A score is a summary of observable network evidence. It is not a pass token for sign-up, payment or account access.

“Clean” is not an Internet standard

No authority issues a universal cleanliness certificate. Each service combines IP evidence with account history, device signals, behaviour and private blocklists. IPOK summarizes observable IP evidence; it cannot promise that a sign-up, payment or login will pass.

Separate network identity from risk history

Residential and mobile networks usually resemble ordinary users. Cloud, VPS and datacenter addresses are shared more often by automation. That does not make every server malicious, and a residential address can still be rented by a proxy operator.

ASN / network typeWho operates the route and whether it resembles residential, mobile, hosting or cloud space.

VPN / proxy / TorWhether traffic appears to leave through an intermediary. An official Tor exit is stronger evidence than a hosting-ASN guess.

Abuse historySpam, scanning or attack observations, interpreted with source and recency.

DNS / WebRTC / dual stackWhether the browser exposes a second route or location.

A practical check order

Keep the evidence behind the score, then compare HTTP exits, IPv4/IPv6, DNS and WebRTC in the full check. Treat one vendor flag as a lead. Confidence rises when authoritative routing data and independent observations agree.

Check an IP Read the methodology