What is IP Address and How IP Address Work

 IP Address

An IP address is a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network. IP stands for "Internet Protocol," which is the set of rules governing the format of data sent via the internet or local network. In essence, IP addresses are the identifier that allows information to be sent between devices on a network: they contain location information and make devices accessible for communication.

Full Form of IP Address is Internet Protocol.

An IP address is a string of numbers separated by periods. IP addresses are expressed as a set of four numbers — an example address might be 192.158.1.38. Each number in the set can range from 0 to 255. So, the full IP addressing range goes from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255.

How IP Address Work

When you jump online to send an email, you’re accessing a network that is connected to the internet itself or one that gives you access to the internet. Perhaps that’s connecting to whatever internet service provider (ISP) you have at home or using a company network in the office. 

To do this successfully, your computer uses internet protocol, and your IP address is used as a virtual return address to establish a connection.

Every device connected to a network—computer, tablet, camera, whatever—needs a unique identifier so that other devices know how to reach it. 

In the world of TCP/IP networking, that identifier is the Internet Protocol (IP) address. If you’ve worked with computers for any amount of time, you’ve likely been exposed to IP addresses—those numerical sequences that look something like 192.168.0.15. 

Most of the time, we don’t have to deal with them directly, since our devices and networks take care of that stuff behind the scenes. When we do have to deal with them, we often just follow instructions about what numbers to put where. But, if you’ve ever wanted to dive a little deeper into what those numbers mean, this article is for you.

Types of IP Address

There are 4 Types of IP Address

• Public
• Private
• Static
• Dynamic.

1. Public IP Address:

A Public IP address is an address where one primary address is associated with your whole network. In this type of IP address, each of the connected devices has the same IP address. public IP address is the primary address associated with your whole network. While each connected device has its own IP address, they are also included within the main IP address for your network. As described above, your public IP address is provided to your router by your ISP. Typically, ISPs have a large pool of IP addresses that they distribute to their customers. Your public IP address is the address that all the devices outside your internet network will use to recognize your network.

2. Private IP Address:

Every device that connects to your internet network has a private IP address. This includes computers, smartphones, and tablets but also any Bluetooth-enabled devices like speakers, printers, or smart TVs. With the growing internet of things, the number of private IP addresses you have at home is probably growing

It also likely includes all types of Bluetooth devices you use, like printers or printers, smart devices like TV, etc. With a rising industry of internet of things (IoT) products, the number of private IP addresses you are likely to have in your own home is growing.

3. Static IP Address:

Most individuals and businesses do not need a static IP address, but for businesses that plan to host their own server, it is crucial to have one. This is because a static IP address ensures that websites and email addresses tied to it will have a consistent IP address — vital if you want other devices to be able to find them consistently on the web.

A static IP address is an IP address that cannot be changed. In contrast, a dynamic IP address will be assigned by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, which is subject to change. Static IP address never changes, but it can be altered as part of routine network administration.

3. Dynamic IP Address:

Dynamic IP addresses always keep changing. It is temporary and are allocated to a device every time it connects to the web. Dynamic IPs can trace their origin to a collection of IP addresses that are shared across many computers.

Dynamic IP addresses change automatically and regularly. ISPs buy a large pool of IP addresses and assign them automatically to their customers. Periodically, they re-assign them and put the older IP addresses back into the pool to be used for other customers. The rationale for this approach is to generate cost savings for the ISP. Automating the regular movement of IP addresses means they don’t have to carry out specific actions to re-establish a customer's IP address if they move home, for example. There are security benefits, too, because a changing IP address makes it harder for criminals to hack into your network interface.