What is IP address ??
Every machine on a network has a unique
identifier. Just as you would address a letter to send in the mail, computers
use the unique identifier to send data to specific computers on a network. Most
networks today, including all computers on the Internet,
use the TCP/IP protocol as the standard for how to communicate on the network.
In the TCP/IP protocol, the unique identifier for a computer is called its IP
address.
An IP address is a fascinating product of modern
computer technology designed to allow one computer (or other digital device) to
communicate with another via the Internet. IP
addresses allow the location of literally billions of digital devices that are
connected to the Internet to be pinpointed and differentiated from other
devices. In the same sense that someone needs your mailing address to send you a letter, a remote
computer needs your IP address to communicate with your computer.
"IP" stands for Internet Protocol, so an IP address is an Internet Protocol address. What does that mean? An
Internet Protocol is a set of rules that govern Internet activity and
facilitate completion of a variety of actions on the World Wide Web. Therefore
an Internet Protocol address is part of the systematically laid out
interconnected grid that governs online communication by identifying both
initiating devices and various Internet destinations, thereby making two-way
communication possible.
There
are two standards for IP addresses: IP Version 4 (IPv4) and IP Version 6
(IPv6). All computers with IP what addresses have an IPv4 address, and many are
starting to use the new IPv6 address system as well. Here's these two address
types mean:
·
IPv4
uses 32 binary bits to create a single unique address on the network. An IPv4
address is expressed by four numbers separated by dots. Each number is the
decimal (base-10) representation for an eight-digit binary (base-2) number,
also called an octet. For example: 216.27.61.137
·
IPv6
uses 128 binary bits to create a single unique address on the network. An IPv6
address is expressed by eight groups of hexadecimal (base-16) numbers separated
by colons, as in 2001:cdba:0000:0000:0000:0000:3257:9652. Groups of numbers
that contain all zeros are often omitted to save space, leaving a colon
separator to mark the gap (as in 2001:cdba::3257:9652).
This innocuous-looking
group of four numbers (IPv4) is the key that empowers you and me to send and
retrieve data over our Internet connections, ensuring that our messages, as
well as our requests for data and the data we've requested, will reach their
correct Internet destinations. Without this numeric protocol, sending and
receiving data over the World Wide Web would be impossible.
IP addresses can be either static or dynamic. Static IP addresses never change. They serve
as a permanent Internet address and provide a simple and reliable way
for remote computers to contact you. Static IP
addresses reveal such information as the continent, country, region, and city
in which a computer is located; the ISP (Internet Service Provider) that
services that particular computer; and such technical information as the
precise latitude and longitude of the country, as well as the locale, of the
computer. Many websites provide IP
address look-up services to their
visitors, free of charge. If you're curious about your own IP address, you can locate these
websites by performing a Google search.
Dynamic IP addresses are
temporary and are assigned each time a computer accesses the Internet. They
are, in effect, borrowed from a pool of IP
addresses that are shared among various computers. Since a limited number of
static IP addresses are
available, many ISPs reserve a portion of their assigned addresses for sharing among their
subscribers in this way. This lowers costs and allows them to service far more
subscribers than they otherwise could.
Static IP addresses are
generally preferable for such uses as VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), online
gaming, or any other purpose where users need to make it easy for other
computers to locate and connect to them. Easy access can also be facilitated
when using a dynamic IP address through the use of a dynamic DNS
service, which enables other computers to find you even though you may be using
a temporary, one-time IP address.
This often entails an extra charge, however, so check with your ISP.
Static IP addresses
are considered somewhat less secure than dynamic IP addresses, since they are easier to
track for data mining purposes. However, following safe Internet practices can
help mitigate this potential problem and keep your computer secure no matter
what type of IP address you use.
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