What is an IP Address?

An IP address is a unique address that identifies a device

on the internet or a local network. IP stands for "Internet
Protocol," which is the set of rules governing the format of
data sent via the internet or local network.

It is a string of numbers separated by periods. IP

addresses are expressed as a set of four numbers — an
example address might be 192.158.1.38. Each number in the
set can range from 0 to 255. So, the full IP addressing range
goes from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255.

An IP address consists of two components: the Network

Address and the Host Address.
 How does it work?
Every device connected to a network—computer, tablet, camera,
whatever—needs a unique identifier so that other devices know how to reach
it. In the world of TCP/IP networking, that identifier is the Internet Protocol
(IP) address. IP addresses are especially important for sending and receiving
information.

An IP address is where a computer resides, in a virtual sense. IP

addresses may identify your own computer, a favorite website, a network
server, or even a device (such as a webcam).

The important thing to remember is this: Every active device on the

internet has an IP address.
 IP Address Versions:
• The IPv4 address is a 32-bit number that uniquely
identifies a network interface on a machine. An IPv4
address is typically written in decimal digits, formatted as
IPv4 Address four 8-bit fields that are separated by periods. Each 8-bit
field represents a byte of the IPv4 address. This form of
representing the bytes of an IPv4 address is often referred
to as the dotted-decimal format.
• IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol, which
identifies devices across the internet so they can be located.

• An IPv6 address is a 128-bit alphanumeric value that

IPv6 Address identifies an endpoint device in an Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) network. IPv6 is the successor to a
previous addressing infrastructure, IPv4, which had
limitations IPv6 was designed to overcome. Notably, IPv6
has drastically increased address space compared to IPv4.
IPv4

IPv6
Network Address
• A network address is any logical or physical address that
uniquely distinguishes a network node or device over a
computer or telecommunications network.

Host Address
• Used to find the computer or the device in the subnet. It is the
physical address of a computer in a network. On the Internet, a
host address is the IP address of the machine.
 This IP address class is used
when there are a large number of
hosts. In a Class A type of network,
the first 8 bits (also called the first
octet) identify the network, and the
remaining have 24 bits for the host
into that network.
Class A Network:
An example of a Class A address
is 102.168.212.226. Here, "102"
helps you identify the network and
168.212.226 identify the host.
 A class B network number uses 16
bits for the network number and 16 bits for
host numbers. The first byte of a class B
network number is in the range 128-191.
These IP addresses are used for medium
and large-sized networks in enterprises
and organizations. 

An example of Class B IP address is

168.212.226.204, where “168.212”
identifies the network and “226.204” helps
you identify the network host.

Class B Network:
 Class C addresses are most common
and used in small business and home
networks. Class C network numbers use 24
bits for the network number and 8 bits for
host numbers. Class C network numbers are
appropriate for networks with few hosts--the
maximum being 254.

In this class, three octets are used to

indent the network. This IP ranges between
192 to 223. A typical class C address might
be 192.5.2.5. The first three bytes, 192.5.2,
form the network number. The final byte in Class C Network:
this example, 5, is the host number.
 Types of
IP Address
 A public IP address is an IP
address that can be accessed directly
over the internet and is assigned to
your network router by your internet
service provider (ISP). Public IP
addresses can be traced back to your
ISP, which can potentially reveal your
general geographical location. When
advertisers, governments,
or hackers know where you’re
connecting from, it’s easier for them
to follow what you do online. 

This type of setup enables all the

devices in your home network to
relay information back and forth
between the router and ISP using a
Public IP Address single address (a public IP address).
 A private IP address is the address
your network router assigns to your
device. Each device within the same
network is assigned a unique private IP
address (sometimes called a private
network address) — this is how
devices on the same internal network
talk to each other.

Each device connected to your

local network has a private IP address,
and each device’s private IP address
can be seen only by other devices
within that network. But unlike the
public IP address that your router uses
to connect your device to the Private IP Address
internet, your private IP address cannot
be seen online.
 A static IP address is simply an address
that doesn't change. Once your device is
assigned a static IP address, that number
typically stays the same until the device is
decommissioned or your network architecture
changes.

Static IP addresses generally are used by

servers or other important equipment. A static
IP address can tell other computers or servers
on the internet exactly where a specific
computer is located or connected to the internet.
Static
IP Address
 A dynamic IP address is an IP address
that changes from time to time unlike a static
IP address. Dynamic IP addresses are pulled
from a pool of other IP addresses and change
anywhere from within a few days to a few
months. In contrast, static IP addresses assign
a single, unchanging IP address to a home
network.

Dynamic IP addresses are the most

common type of IP address; they are the
default IP address type provided by internet
service providers (ISPs).  Dynamic
IP Address
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address.
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