What Is IP Address? How Does It Works

What is IP

An IP address is a unique address that identifies a device on the Internet or local network. IP addresses are not universal. IP address is an internet protocol address. IP is a set of rules governing the format of data sent via the internet or local network.

IP addresses are identifiers that allows information to be sent between devices on a network, contain location information and make device accessible for communication. the internet needs a way to differentiate to between different computers, routers and website. IP addresses provide a way to do this and form an essential part of how the internet works.

IP addresses are expressed as set of four numbers. For example - 192.168.0.41

The full IP addresses range goes from 0.0.0.0. to 255.255.255.255

The use of IP addresses is usually like this. The process works like this:

• Your IP address is assigned to your device by your ISP

• Your IP connects your device to the Internet

• Your internet activity goes through your ISP, and they route it back to you using your IP address. 

• When you take your device with you when you are out of the home for example - travelling, your home IP address not come with you. this because you are using another network (wifi at hotel, coffee shop, airport) to access the internet and using a different IP address, which gives you access to the internet.

Types of IP addresses

• Public IP 
• Privat IP
• Dynamic IP
• Static IP

Public IP

A public IP address is the primary address associated with your entire network. Your public IP address is the address that all devices outside your Internet network will use to identify your network.

Private IP

Each device that connects to your Internet network has a private IP address. This includes computers, smartphones and tablets, Bluetooth-enabled devices such as speakers, printers or smart TVs. Your router needs a way to distinguish these items. Therefore, your router generates private IP addresses that are unique identifiers for each device that differentiates them on the network.

Dynamic IP

Dynamic IP addresses change automatically and regularly. ISPs assign IP addresses to their customers automatically. From time to time, they reassign them and make the old IP addresses available to other customers. There are security benefits, as changing IP addresses make it harder for criminals to hack into your network interfaces.

Static IP

Static IP addresses (also known as fixed or dedicated IP addresses), on the other hand, do not change. Once a device has been assigned a static IP address, that number typically remains with the device as its internet identifier until the device is decommissioned or the network architecture is modified. In most cases, devices that are given static IP addresses tend to be servers and other important equipment and the static IP address makes them easier to find and communicate with.

IPV4:

Internet Protocol version 4 is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol. It is one of the core protocols of standards-based internetworking methods in the Internet and other packet- switched networks.

Example, 192.168.0.1

IPV6:

Internet Protocol version 6 is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP), the communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet.

Example, 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Classes of IP Address