What is IP?
IP Address stands for Internet Protocol Address and it is a unique address. IP address used to communicate with one device to another device over the internet.
An Internet Protocol address(IP address) is a set of numbers used to identify the location of a computer on a network using TCP/IP. It is similar to the address of a house which will be easy to identify the exact location. Example:56.45.87.67. Two versions of IP are used. They are IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv4 Addressing:
IPv4or IP version 4 consists of 32 bits ranging from 0 to 255 separated by dots. Example:25.56.121.5.Each part consists of 8 bits.
IPv6 Addressing:
IPv6 is the latest version and the size ranges from 32 bits to 128 bits. It uses hexadecimal method separated by a colon. Example:2601:681:4200:c5c0:516:f0bb:ac3b:46bd
Types Of IP Address:
The set of numbers and letters make the IP Addresses but not all IP addresses are used for the same purposes.
- private IP Address
- Public IP Address
- Static IP Address
- Dynamic IP Address
Public IP:
A Public IP address is a unique address that is assigned to a computing device which has direct access to the Internet. Internet Service Providers(ISPs) provides individual IP address to customers who subscribe to Internet services. Each independent system has its own IP address that is connected to the Internet. IP of a system can be found by opening the internet browser and typing ‘what is my IP?’. Then particular IP of the system will be visible from the browser.
Private IP:
A Private IP address is provided for each organization to create their own private network. The personal computers that are connected to an organization are assigned with the private IP address. The devices that are residing out of the local network cannot communicate with private IP address. But router’s public address can be used to communicate with the system. There are 3 classes (class A, class B, class C) are used in private addressing. Class A addresses for larger networks with many devices. And Class B addresses for medium-sized networks. Then Class C addresses for smaller networks fewer than 256 devices. Private IP of a system can be found by 2 methods.
One method:
In Windows Os, click the start menu and type cmd in the search box. Then CommandPrompt window opens. Type ipconfig in the CommandPrompt. Then IPv4 address will be displayed starting something as 192.168….
Another method:
Click the small networking icon notification on the right side of the taskbar. The Network and Sharing Center window will open. Click the network connection that is currently using either Ethernet or wireless. Then the IPv4 address of the connection will appear starting something as 192.168… That is the private address of the system.