What is an IP Address?

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address) is a unique identifier used by devices (computers, smartphones, servers, etc.) connected to the internet to distinguish and communicate with each other.
Simply put, it's like a home address in the digital world.

Types of IP Addresses

1. IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

• The most commonly used format
• Example: 192.168.0.1
• Composed of 4 numbers ranging from 0 to 255 (each number is 8 bits, total of 32 bits)
• Supports about 4.3 billion addresses

2. IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)

• Introduced to solve the IPv4 address exhaustion problem
• Example: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
• 8 blocks of hexadecimal numbers (total of 128 bits)
• Supports an almost infinite number of addresses

Public IP vs Private IP

Type	Description	Example
Public IP	Assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and used across the entire internet	203.123.45.67
Private IP	Used within internal networks (e.g., home, office)	192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x

Devices within a home network use private IPs, while the router uses a public IP to communicate externally.

Static IP vs Dynamic IP

Type	Description
Static IP	Fixed IP address. Always the same
Dynamic IP	Changes each time you connect

Static IPs are used for servers, CCTV, etc.,
Dynamic IPs are commonly used for home internet connections.

What are IP addresses used for?

• Accessing websites (DNS converts domain names to IPs)
• Remote access (e.g., remote desktop, CCTV)
• Configuring network devices (printers, routers, etc.)
• Security and tracking (log analysis, access records, etc.)