IP Address

An IP address is a unique string of numbers separated by periods (IPv4) or colons (IPv6) that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. Think of it as a postal address for your computer on the internet; it tells other computers where to find your device and how to send information to it.

The IP address is essential because it helps to route data across the internet, ensuring that emails, websites, and all forms of data find the right destination on a vast network of interconnected devices. Every device that connects to the internet, from computers and smartphones to printers and routers, is assigned an IP address, whether it’s permanent (static IP) or temporary (dynamic IP).

IP addresses can tell you the general location from which a device is connecting to the internet and are crucial for network troubleshooting and setting up secure connections. They come in two versions:

• IPv4: An older protocol that uses 32-bit addresses, which looks like this: 192.168.1.1.
• IPv6: A newer protocol developed to address the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, using 128-bit addresses, which looks like this: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.

Understanding IP addresses is key to managing how devices connect and interact over the internet. They are fundamental to the network’s ability to find and connect different devices globally.

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