Angular App Development: How to Retrieve Client IP Address

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Angular is one of the most popular frameworks for building web applications. It provides a robust set of tools and features that make it easier to create complex applications with minimal effort. However, in some cases, you may need to retrieve the IP address of your application’s users, particularly the client IP address. Knowing the client’s IP address can be helpful for tracking user activity, personalizing the user experience, and providing more targeted content. In this article, we will explore the process of retrieving the client’s IP address in an Angular app. We’ll discuss some of the standard techniques used to obtain the IP address and provide step-by-step instructions to implement these techniques in your Angular app. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand how to retrieve client IP addresses in Angular, and how this can be used to enhance the functionality of your application.

Table of Contents

Third parties for getting the client’s IP Address

There are several third-party tools and services that can be used to obtain the client’s IP address from an Angular app. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

  • ipify – A simple API that allows you to get your public IP address in plain text, JSON, or JSONP format. It can be easily integrated into an Angular app with an HTTP request.
  • ngx-device-detector – A library for Angular that detects the type of device and browser being used by the client, as well as the client’s IP address.
  • ipstack – A geolocation API that provides accurate IP address lookup services. It can be used to retrieve not only the client’s IP address but also their location information.
  • geoip-lite – A lightweight Node.js module that provides fast and reliable IP geolocation services. It can be used to obtain the client’s IP address as well as their location data.
  • ipdata – A RESTful API that provides real-time IP geolocation, ISP, and other information. It can be used to retrieve the client’s IP address as well as other useful data.

These third-party tools and services can make it easier to obtain the client’s IP address in an Angular app, saving time and effort in development. However, it’s important to research and choose a reliable and trustworthy provider to ensure the security and accuracy of your application.

Angular implementation of client IP Address

For this implementation, I chose ipify API and to do the call we will implement a service.

First, let’s take a look at the code for the IpService class. As you can see, the constructor takes an instance of the HttpClient class as a parameter. The HttpClient is a built-in service in Angular that allows you to make HTTP requests to external APIs. The getIPAddress() method makes an HTTP GET request to the ipify API, which returns the client’s public IP address in JSON format.

export class IpService {
  constructor(private http: HttpClient) { }
  public getIPAddress() {
    return this.http.get("http://api.ipify.org/?format=json");
  }
}

To use this service in your Angular app, you’ll first need to import it into your component or service. Here’s how we use the IpService class in the login component:

export class LoginComponent implements OnInit {
  private ipAddress: string;
...
  constructor(...private ipService: IpService,) {
...
    this.setIpAddress();
  }
  private setIpAddress() {
    this.ipService.getIPAddress().subscribe((result: any) => {
      this.ipAddress = result.ip;
    })
  }
...
}

We’re injecting the IpService into the component’s constructor and calling the getIPAddress() method in the constructor. The subscribe() method is used to handle the asynchronous response from the ipify API, which returns the IP address in the ‘ip’ property of the response object. We’re saving the IP Address into the ipAddress variable so we can use it during the login process.

Using an HTTP request to retrieve the client IP address in Angular is a straightforward process thanks to the built-in HttpClient service. By implementing a service like the IpService class, you can quickly and easily obtain the client’s IP address and use it to enhance your application’s functionality.

Resources

Conclusion

In conclusion, retrieving the client IP address is an essential part of building modern web applications, and Angular provides developers with the tools and services needed to accomplish this task. Whether you choose to implement a third-party tool or use an HTTP request to obtain the IP address, the ability to retrieve the client’s IP address is an essential feature that can improve your application’s functionality and user experience. By utilizing the methods discussed in this article, you can enhance your Angular app and take it to the next level.

I hope this article has been informative and helpful in your Angular app development journey. If you found this article useful, I encourage you to share it with others who may benefit from this information. Additionally, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences in retrieving the client IP address in your Angular apps. Please feel free to leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on this topic. Thank you for reading, and happy coding!

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