What is an IP address?

What is an IP address?

An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network using the Internet Protocol. 

It works for two leading purposes: classifying the host or network interface and providing the position of the host in the network.

IP addresses are typically written in human-readable notation, such as 192.168.1.1 for IPv4 and 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334 for IPv6. 

It is used to locate and identify devices on a network and allows for communication between devices. 

How does IP address work?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address works by providing a unique numerical label, also known as an "IP Address," to every tool linked to a pc community that makes use of the Internet Protocol for communication. 

Each device on a network has a unique IP address, which allows other devices on the network to identify and communicate with it.

When a device, such as a computer or a smartphone, wants to communicate with another device on the Internet, it sends a message containing the IP address of the destination device.

The message is then broken down into small packets, and each packet is sent to the destination device through a series of routers.

The routers use the IP address to determine where to send the packets so that they can be reassembled into the original message.

There are variations of IP addresses, IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses consist of four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example, 192.168.1.1.

IPv6 addresses are longer and consist of eight sets of numbers separated by colons, for example, 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.

IP addresses are controlled and assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are used to locate and identify devices on a network and allow for communication between devices.

What is a private IP address?

A private IP address is a non-routable IP address that is used within a private network, such as a home or business network. These addresses are not globally unique and cannot be directly accessed from the internet, but can be accessed within the private network.

There are three ranges of private IP addresses defined by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for IPv4:

• 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
• 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
• 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

These ranges of IP addresses can be used by any device on a private network, such as a router, a computer, or a mobile device, and are often used by network administrators to set up internal networks. 

A device on a private network can communicate with other devices on the same network, but it cannot communicate directly with devices on the internet. 

In order to communicate with devices on the internet, a device on a private network must use a NAT (Network Address Translation) or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to connect to a device on the internet that has a public IP address.

What is a public IP address?

A public IP address is a globally unique IP address that is assigned to devices that connect to the internet. These addresses are used to identify and locate devices on the internet and allow for communication between devices on the internet.

Public IP addresses are assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to devices that connect to the internet, such as routers, servers, and personal computers.

Public IP addresses are also used by websites, online services, and other internet-connected devices to identify themselves on the internet.

A public IP deal may be both static and dynamic. A static IP address is a permanent address assigned to a device, and it does not change over time.

A dynamic IP address is assigned to a device temporarily, and it can change over time, such as when a device is disconnected from the internet and reconnects later.

Public IP addresses may be both IPv4 or IPv6.IPv4 addresses consist of four sets of numbers separated by dots.

For example, 208.80.152.201, while IPv6 addresses are longer and consist of eight sets of numbers separated by colons, for example, 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.

IPv4 addresses are becoming scarce due to the increasing number of devices connected to the internet, and IPv6 is becoming more and more adopted to solve this problem.

How to find your IP address?

There are several ways to find your IP address, depending on the type of device you are using and the operating system it runs on. Here are a few common methods:

On Windows:

• Open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + R, then type cmd and press Enter.
• Type "ipconfig" in the Command Prompt and press Enter. Your IP address will be listed under "IPv4 Address" or "IPv6 Address"

On Mac:

• Open the Terminal by searching for it in Spotlight or by going to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
• Type "ifconfig" in the Terminal and press Enter. Your IP address will be listed under "inet" for IPv4 or "inet6" for IPv6.

On Linux:

• Open the Terminal by searching for it in the application launcher or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T.
• Type "ifconfig" in the Terminal and press Enter. Your IP address will be listed under "inet" for IPv4 or "inet6" for IPv6.

On a mobile device:

• Go to the settings app.
• Look for the "Wi-Fi" or "Network" settings and find the IP address listed under "IP Address" or "IPv4 Address".

On a web browser:

• Open a web browser and type in "what is my IP" in the search bar, this will show you your public IP address.

Keep in mind that the IP address displayed is your device's IP address on the local network, if you want to know your public IP address, go to any website that displays it like "what is my IP" on a web browser.

Conclusion:

In this post, we are going to discuss what an IP address is and how it is used. If you are like most people, you connect to the internet every day without really knowing what an IP address is or how it works.