An Internet Protocol address, or IP address, is a numeric identifier assigned to a network interface for communication on an IP network. Not every device receives a globally routable address; many devices use private addresses behind a router. The growth of connected devices increased demand for IPv6 alongside IPv4. See Internet Protocol for more background.
What Are the Different Types of IP Addresses?
Two main categories exist: public addresses (provided by internet service providers) and local addresses (automatically assigned by routers to local network devices). Private addresses remain unreachable outside local networks.
A typical IP address consists of:
- Four different numbers, separated by periods
- Each with one to three digits
- All falling between 0 and 255
Three reserved IP address ranges for private networks:
- 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 (65,536 Addresses)
- 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 (1,048,576 Addresses)
- 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 (16,777,216 Addresses)
How To Find an IP Address?
Windows:
- Click the Wi-Fi or network icon in the system tray
- Click “Network Settings”
- Select Ethernet (cable) or Wi-Fi (wireless)
Find IP Address with Command-line:
Mac and Linux — open a terminal and type:
ifconfig
Windows — open the command prompt and type:
ipconfig
Find Your Public IP Address:
The simplest method involves using Google’s search engine by typing “what is my IP?”
What Do IPv4 and IPv6 Mean?
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) represents “the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP).” It uses 32-bit addressing supporting 4.3 billion devices—sufficient a decade ago but insufficient for current Internet of Things growth.
IPv6 provides “approximately 340 undecillion IPv6 addresses.” This next-generation standard intends to supplement and eventually replace IPv4, offering security and privacy improvements.
What’s the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs?
Static IP addresses remain constant, facilitating permanent device connections (useful for network-attached storage and printers). Conversely, most internet-connected devices receive temporary dynamic IP addresses assigned by networks that change over time. IPv4 address scarcity prompted industry adoption of dynamic address assignment.
How do I Hide My IP Address?
Cyber-attacks represent significant network threats. In internet contexts, “an IP address is a unique identifier that tells websites who is visiting.” Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide popular concealment methods. “What a VPN does is creates an encrypted tunnel between you and the website’s servers.”
The Bottom Line
An IP address constitutes “one of the most important tools for today’s computer systems,” as “the Internet is just a really big network or the interconnection of many individual networks.”
