IP stands for Internet Protocol, this is a unique address assigned to each device connected to the network or the Internet.
IP address allows devices / computers to send and receive information through the right parties on the Internet. This means they can also be used to track users’ physical location.
An IP address is made up of characters or numbers.
An example of an IP address: 192.168.14.10
How IP address works:
An IP address allows computers / devices to send and receive data over the Internet.
All devices connected to the Internet have a unique IP address, which means we need millions of IP addresses. This requirement is fulfilled by a new IP address called IPv6.
There are basically two types of IP versions available, IPv4 and IPv6.
- IPv4 Address:
IPv4 is the normal and older version of the IP address. The IP version 4 supports over 4 billion IP addresses.
An IPv4 consists of four octets. Each octet can contain one to three numbers and each octet is separated by a dot (.) separator. Each octet ranges from 0 to 255.
Here is an example of an IPv4 address.
192.168.14.10
- IPV6 Address:
As we know, most devices today use IP addresses to connect to the Internet.
While IP version 4 can only support 4.3 billion unique IP addresses, therefore, to fulfill the need of IP addresses, a new IP version 6 has been introduced in the market that can provide trillions of IP addresses.
An IPv6 consists of 8 groups of 4 hexadecimal digits.
Here is an example of an IPv6 address.
3002:0bd7:58a8:0002:0010:0370:8a2e:7334
Types of IP addresses:
There are 4 types of IP addresses such as public, private, dynamic and static IP addresses. Let’s look at all types of addresses one by one as follows:
1.Private IP address:
Private IP address is a free IP address that you can use for your network.
Private IP address allows you to connect devices to your local network, not global.
Private IP addresses cannot be accessed from devices outside your local or home network.
Private IP addresses are not unique. The ranges of private IP addresses are as follows.
- Class A: 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255
- Class B: 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255
- Class C: 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255
You can view your device’s private IP address in a variety of ways.
- If you are a Mac user, go to your terminal and type “ipconfig” command and press enter.
- If you are a Windows user, then go straight to your CMD (command prompt) and type “ipconfig” command here and press enter.
- If you want to check the IP address on your mobile phone, go to your Wi-Fi and find the IP address in your Wi-Fi settings.
- If you are an iOS user, you can get the IP address by clicking the “i” button in the Wi-Fi settings.
2.Private IP address:
Public IP addresses are not free IP addresses and these IP addresses are assigned by IANA (Internet Assigned Number Authority).
Your public IP address is the main IP address to which your business or local network is connected. This IP address connects your network to the Internet and it’s unique to all users.
Public IP address that you cannot see through your computer terminal. There are some websites on the Internet that allow you to view your public IP address.
To check your public IP address, we recommend that you use sites such as https://supportally.com/ and http://ip4.me/ because, these sites are very quick and will show your IP addresses and other important browser information.
3.Static IP Addresses:
A static IP address is the third type of an IP address. Once static IP address is allocated to your device, this address is usually the same until the architecture of your network changes or your device is decommissioned.
Static IP addresses are required for devices that need permanent access.
Static IP addresses are usually used by an FTP server or web server.
If you want to get a static IP address, contact your internet service provider and ask them to buy a static IP address.
They will ask the MAC address of your device where you want to assign a static IP address. It may take a few days for you to assign a static IP address.
4.Dynamic IP Addresses
The dynamic IP address is automatically assigned to your network when you configure your Wi-Fi router with the Internet.
The dynamic IP address is temporarily assigned by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). If the address is not in use, then it will be automatically assigned to another device.
Dynamic IP address distribution is managed via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
Bottom Line:
IP addresses are unique identifiers for each device in the network. IP addresses allow devices to send and receive data to the right parties anywhere on the Internet.
See Also
