IPASK Checker Glossary ASN reference Methodology

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PTR record

Reverse DNS: the hostname a network owner assigns to an address.

A PTR record maps an IP address back to a hostname, stored under in-addr.arpa. The network operator sets it, not the account holder.

Patterns are informative: consumer lines often resolve to names like c-73-162-0-1.hsd1.ca.comcast.net or ppp-…dynamic…, hosting ranges often resolve to a provider name, and some CDNs publish none at all.

It is a weak signal: a hosting provider can set a PTR that looks like a household. Compare it with the ASN before believing it.

Related: Residential IP · Native IP · Dual ISP · CGNAT · ASN · BGP · RPKI · Anycast

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