What is an IP Address?

You may have heard or seen on the internet an IP address. But have you ever had the curiosity to know what it means or what the IP address is? So it’s time to explain it to you in detail.

What is the IP address?

IP stands for Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP is an acronym for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The IP address is a numerical sequence that indicates the location from which a particular device (usually a computer) is connected to a private network, directly to the Internet, or the address of the server through which the device is connecting to the Internet.

The entire internet is based on IP addresses, and every participant in the world wide web has an IP address. Even websites have IP addresses, that is, where the data from that particular site is coming from.

What are the different types

Now, this is where things get a bit more complex. In fact, there are two types of IP address. One is called IPv4, which is a unique and unique address on the network. The other is known as IPv6 and also provides a unique address, but the difference is that it uses more “binary numbers” (actually 128 bits). The original was IPv4, but with the accelerated growth of the Internet, it was realized that there was a possibility of exhaustion of IP addresses available! So they created IPV6.

An IPv4 address is probably something like: 223.32.45.224.

Meanwhile, an IPv6 address will probably look something like: 2002; CDBA: 0000: 0000: 0000: 4433: 8674.

IP addresses are also dynamic or static. The vast majority are dynamic – they are assigned by your router and act as a bridge between your device and the Internet. These IPs expire after a certain amount of time, and a new IP address will be assigned to your device.

Static addresses are permanent and user-configured manually, however, they are very rare – they are most often used for VOIP, Internet gaming, or when users need to facilitate location or connection between computers. It is probably foolish to try to create one unless you are a technology expert because they can cause problems on your network. They are also considered less secure than dynamic IP addresses because they can be crawled more easily in an attempt to steal data.

Importance of IP address for internet

The IP address helps identify and locate where devices and sites are connecting. Thus, it is easier to establish a line of communication between these IPs, also making the network more secure.

When entering a page address in a browser, the DNS server will be responsible for returning the IP address of this page. With the IP address, the browser can request the page to be visited.

In the same network, there can never be 2 devices with the same IP address. The IP address must be unique in order to distinguish between any equipment on the same network. It is also a way of ensuring the safety of everyone.

Imagine if everyone could connect to the internet without any form of identification? Several crimes would be committed and people would go unpunished for their crimes. Along with the MAC address of devices that connect to the Internet, the IP address gives the servers, individuals, companies, and others connected to the network a possibility of identification, security and guarantee that only you have that channel of connection to the network.

After all, the IP address is also used so that your internet provider can allow or not your internet connection.

Sources:

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-an-ip-address-2625920

https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/what-is-an-ip-address.htm