What is a gateway?

A gateway sits between two networks and routes traffic from one side to the other. In a home or office, the gateway is usually the router that links your LAN to the wider internet.

When a device inside your LAN needs to reach a website, it hands off the request to the gateway, which forwards it upstream. Responses return the same way so your device gets the data it asked for.

Gateways often perform extra duties such as assigning IPs via DHCP, enforcing firewall rules, or translating addresses when using NAT. They serve as the bridge your local traffic relies on.

Checking IPLookup.help tells you the public IP address of your gateway, so you know which outward-facing address other networks see on behalf of your LAN.