What is an IP Address
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. It serves two main functions: identifying the host or network interface, and providing the location of the device in the network.
There are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 (e.g., 192.168.0.1) and IPv6 (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). IPv4 is the most widely used, but due to the limited number of available addresses, IPv6 was introduced to expand the addressing space.
Examples of IP Addresses:
- IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.1 (commonly used in local networks).
- IPv6 Address: 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334 (used for more complex, larger networks).
- Dynamic IP: An IP address that changes each time a device connects to the network.
- Static IP: A permanent IP address assigned to a device for continuous use.