An internet protocol address is an identifier connected to a computer or computer network. It allows for the transmission of information between computers when connected to the internet.
How do IP addresses work?
The majority of IP addresses are entirely numerical, but letters are being added as internet usage grows and the numeral-only ones available become insufficient.
Static, dynamic, public, and private
The four different types of IP addresses are static, dynamic, public, and private. The first two indicate permanency, and the second two indicate the network’s location.
Static addresses are created manually. They do not change and are not assigned. On the other hand, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server assigns dynamic IP addresses, which are liable to change. This type of IP address is the most common one. It is active for a period, then it expires. The computer gets a new address or requests a new lease automatically.
Public IP addresses are addresses where a primary one is linked to an entire network. Each device within the network has the same address in this type of IP address. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides public IP addresses.
On the other hand, a private IP is a unique number assigned to each device within your home internet network. This includes smartphones, laptops, tablets, Bluetooth devices like printers, and all smart equipment and appliances.
The number of private IPs is on the rise as Internet of Things (IoT) products gather momentum. More and more people are equipping themselves with smart devices at home.
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Types of website addresses
There are two kinds of website IP addresses: shared addresses and dedicated addresses. Small company sites that don’t have a lot of visitors and few pages or files use shared IP addresses. The address is not unique to their site – other sites have it too.
The dedicated IP is unique to a single website. Websites with dedicated IPs are safe from penalties due to bad behavior from other sites on the same server. If you have a dedicated IP, you don’t need your site’s domain name to retrieve it – you can pull it up through the IP. You can also access your site while you wait for your domain to be transferred.
IP address versions
Finally, there are two IP address versions: IPV4 and IPV6. The former was the original IP version, deployed in ARPANET for production 40 years ago. It remains the most popular and commonly used IP version. People and software use it to identify devices on a network by means of an addressing system.
The IPv4 version employs a 32-bit address system, which makes it possible to store more than 4 billion addresses. It carries the vast majority of online traffic and is considered the primary Internet Protocol to date.
The IPV6 is the more recent IP version. It was launched by Internet Engineer Taskforce in early 1994. The development and design of that system manifested in what is now known as IPv6. This version solves problems associated with IPv4.
