Meaning Of An IP Address & Everything You Should Know About It
What is an IP address?
An internet protocol (IP) address is a number that uniquely identifies a computer or other network device on the Internet. This number allows devices to communicate with other devices on the network.
An IP address consists of four decimal digits, separated by periods (e.g., 24.23.55.2). The first three digits, or numbers, are used to identify the specific network attached to the IP address.
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For instance, if you have an IP address that starts with 192, then it’s likely that your computer is connected to the Internet through your local area network (LAN). This is because 192 is one of the first three numbers assigned to each network by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which maintains the official list of all private IP addresses and their corresponding networks worldwide.
The last two numbers are called “networks”. These numbers are associated with different subnets within the same overall network, but they may be shared by several computers in different places on that same overall network. For example, if you have an IP address that starts with 192 and ends with 23, then it’s likely
Example:
When you type in a web address like www.google.com, your computer sends a request for the page to Google’s web server at IP address 192.128.1.8. That request is sent over your local area network (LAN) and travels across the Internet until it reaches its destination at Google’s servers in California, U.S.A., or wherever else they are located globally.
Each server receives requests from all devices connected to the Internet and sends back responses to any devices that request them. Each device then receives a response from one of those servers and sends it back out over its LAN or WAN connection to another device using another router or switch until it reaches its final destination — your home computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Types of IP address
There are various types of IP addresses namely:
1. Public Address
2. Private Address
3. Dynamic Address
4. Static Address
1. Public IP address
A public IP address is a unique address used by Internet service providers (ISPs) and other networks to identify a user or device connected to the Internet. Public IP addresses are assigned from a pool of publicly accessible IP addresses.
Public IP addresses are used for network identification, network resource allocation, network management, and other purposes. These addresses are allocated by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), a non-profit corporation funded by ICANN ( Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
The use of public IP addresses benefits businesses because they can be used in addressing their websites and software applications. The benefit to consumers is that they can access content from anywhere on the internet without being charged extra fees.
2. Private IP address
Private IP addresses are a special type of IP address that is not routable outside of a network. The majority of Internet users will have public IP addresses, which are assigned by your ISP and can be accessed by anyone. However, if you have a private IP address, then only devices on your local network can access it.
Private IP addresses are often used in conjunction with VPNs (virtual private networks), which allow you to join multiple networks via one connection.
For example, if you want to work from home but don’t want the rest of the world to know what network you’re connected to, then using a VPN makes it possible for you to connect with people on other networks from anywhere in the world.
3. Dynamic IP Address
Dynamic IP addresses are computerized IP addresses that are programmed by a service provider following the needs of its customers. The dynamic IP address is an IP address that is allocated to you when you connect to the Internet via your ISP.
A dynamic IP address is assigned to your computer once you connect to the Internet. The assigned dynamic IP address is used by an ISP’s DHCP server as a way to assign IP addresses to clients requesting them. When you disconnect from your ISP, your computer will automatically reset back to using its static IP address again.
An advantage of using a dynamic IP address is that it can be easily changed without having to contact your ISP or other parties involved with providing connectivity over the Internet (e.g., DNS servers).
This allows you access to multiple locations on the Internet at the same time, allowing you access from different locations around the world.
The idea of using dynamic IP addresses was introduced in the early years of TCP/IP. It was introduced to help with the problem of assigning static IP addresses by providing a way to automatically assign an IP address when a device is connected to the network and allows it to be changed at any time.
Dynamic IP addresses can be used for many different reasons, but it is most commonly used to enable a user’s connection when they first log into a network device like a computer, printer, router, or modem; however, they can also be used on devices that do not have static IP addresses such as cell phones and other wireless devices.
4. Static IP Address
A static IP address is a special type of IP address that is hardcoded into the network device, such as a router or server. Such an address will not change, even if the network device is rebooted or reset. Static IP addresses are very useful in networks where you don’t want your devices to be able to change the network configuration on their own.
A common use for static IPs is when you want to give a specific device a fixed IP address so that it does not have to change every time you reboot your computer or router. This can prevent some problems and make troubleshooting easier because instead of having to figure out which device has changed its IP address, you only have to figure out which device has changed its MAC address instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is a subnet mask?
A subnet mask is like a street address for an IP address, providing how many bits are used in each octet of an IP address. For example, if your computer has been assigned an IP address of 192.168.1.2, then its subnet mask would be 255.255.255.0, which tells us that there are 32 bits available for use in allocating addresses within the network i.e., what parts of your computer’s MAC address correspond to which parts of this 32-bit value?.
What is the main reason for having a subnet mask?
The purpose of having a subnet mask is so that computers on different networks can communicate with each other without having to manually configure their NICs (Network Interface Cards).
A common practice amongst ISPs (Internet Service Providers) is to assign certain ranges of addresses to certain ISPs so they can communicate with each other without having to manually configure their NICs.
How Can I Check or Find My IP Address?
Here’s how to find your IP address:
Many websites will check and display your IP address, including https://www.whatismyip.com/, etc. These sites will also let you know if your connection is secure or not, as well as give you options for changing your security settings if necessary.
Open a web browser and type in “what is my IP” into the address bar. This will bring up a list of websites that offer free IP addresses. Some websites also provide information about their server location, which can be useful if you’re looking for a specific website to visit.
If you want more information about your IP address, use an online service like DynDNS or Google Public DNS.
OR
You can find your current IP address by going to your computer’s network settings. For Windows users, this will be done through the Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings or right-click on your mouse, Click “Properties”, then click > “Internet Protocol Version 4 )”
From the list of items in the lower-left corner of the window. For Mac OS X users, this will be done through System Preferences > Network (click on Wi-Fi in the list at left) > Advanced (click on TCP/IP in the main window at left) > Use the following DNS server addresses:
How to protect your IP address
There are several ways you can protect your IP address:
Change your default gateway. Most routers have default gateways set by default and may not allow you to change them at all.
If you are unable to change the gateway on your router, try changing it manually in its settings so that only specific computers can use it.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt all of your internet traffic, including your DNS request and the data you send to servers and websites.
This means that even if someone manages to get access to your router or other security devices, they can’t see what websites you visit, what email accounts you use, or what applications you use on your phone.
Use a DNS proxy service like Unlocator to prevent DNS leaks from taking place in the first place. You can use Unlocator’s free version or pay for a paid version that includes advanced features like ad blocking and anti-tampering tools.
Can Someone Use an IP Address To Access Personal Information?
Yes. There are many ways in which an attacker can use an IP address to access personal or sensitive information, such as:
● Stealing passwords from users of websites and online services
● Monitoring customer information on websites and applications
● Following users around the Internet, including tracking them from home to work and back again
● Spying on users by seeing what they search for online, where they go, and what they do when they are not at home
Summary
IP addresses are a complex network of numbers and letters that identify individual devices on the Internet. These addresses are required to send data from one computer to another, but they can also be used to tailor information and content to individual users.
Each IP address consists of two sections: the network number (which is shared by all computers on a given network) and the host number (which allows computers to be differentiated from one another).
If you want your internet service provider or other organizations to deliver content specific to your device, you need an IP address. As such, it is crucial to know what an IP address is and how it works.
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