What is an IP Address ?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address serves as a network address for your computer, ensuring that the internet can direct your emails, data, and entertaining memes, such as the "monkey in a tutu," to the right destination. Drawing a parallel to the era of snail mail, just as a heartfelt letter without an address wouldn't reach Grandma Betty, your computer's communication needs an IP address for the internet to know where to deliver it.

The internet commonly employs two versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. An IPv4 address is presented as four dotted decimal numbers, with each octet separated by a period (e.g., 192.168.35.4). The first octet's three digits denote a specific internet network, while the remaining digits identify the host address within the local network, like a workstation or server. In contrast, an IPv6 address consists of eight sets of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons

Whenever a request is initiated to access a website, the requesting computer must determine the location of the website and the route to reach it. The IP address plays a crucial role in this process. The requesting computer establishes a connection with the network router, which, in turn, links to the web server hosting the website. Subsequently, the web server retrieves the website information and transmits it back to the requesting computer. Each device involved in this sequence, such as the computer, router, and web server, possesses a distinct and identifiable IP address. Without these unique IP addresses, the seamless transfer of information would not occur.

IPv4 vs IPv6: What’s the difference?

While both IPv4 and IPv6 serve the purpose of identifying devices on a network, they operate with slight distinctions. IPv6, being the more recent IP version, was introduced to overcome the limitations that IPv4 posed in terms of available IP addresses.

Here is a breakdown of distinctions between IPv4 and IPv6:

• IPv4 operates on a 32-bit system, while IPv6 uses a 128-bit system.

• In IPv4, binary bits are separated by dots (.), while IPv6 uses colons (:).

• IPv4 employs a numeric addressing method, whereas IPv6 uses alphanumeric characters.

• IPv4 features 12 header fields, whereas IPv6 has eight.

• IPv4 includes checksum fields, which are absent in IPv6.

• IPv4 supports broadcast addresses, transmitting data packets to all nodes on the network. IPv6, on the other hand, lacks broadcast support and utilizes multicast addresses as logical identifiers for host groups on a network.

• IPv4 accommodates Variable Length Subnet Mask, whereas IPv6 does not.

• For mapping to media access control addresses, IPv4 uses the Address Resolution Protocol, while IPv6 utilizes the Neighbor Discovery Protocol, incorporating stateless auto-configuration and address resolution.

IP Address IPV4 are five classes

1. Class A IP Addresses:

• Range: 1.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255

• First octet: Network

• Remaining three octets: Hosts

• Supports a large number of hosts but fewer networks

1. Class B IP Addresses:

• Range: 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255

• First two octets: Network

• Remaining two octets: Hosts

• Balances network and host capacity, suitable for mid-sized organizations

1. Class C IP Addresses:

• Range: 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255

• First three octets: Network

• Last octet: Hosts

• Provides a large number of networks with a limited number of hosts per network, often used by smaller organizations

1. Class D IP addresses is from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255.

These addresses are used for multicast communication, where data is intended to be sent to multiple recipients simultaneously. Multicast addresses allow efficient distribution of information to a specific group of devices, rather than broadcasting to all devices on a network.

5. The range for Class E IP addresses is from 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255

These addresses are set aside for research and development and are not allocated for regular networking or communication purposes. Class E addresses are not routable on the public internet, and their use is limited to specific experimental scenarios. In practice, Class E addresses are not commonly encountered in standard networking configurations.

Classification of IP address based on Usage

Private IP address

Private IP addresses are assigned to every device within a home or private network. These addresses are not accessible from the internet and are exclusive to internal network use. Devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones, Bluetooth devices, smart TVs, and printers are examples of those equipped with private IP addresses. As the prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) products rises, the utilization of private IP addressing is expected to continue expanding.

1. Class A: IP addresses between 10.0.0.0 and 10.255.255.255

2. Class B: IP addresses between 172.16.0.0 and 172.31.255.255

3. Class C: IP addresses between 192.186.0.0 and 192.168.255.255

Public IP address

Public IP addresses are provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and facilitate communication between a router and the internet or an external network. These addresses span the entire network, implying that multiple devices sharing a common internet connection will also share the same public IP address.