Let’s say you’re looking to write a letter to a friend who lives miles away.
What’s the first thing you need for that letter to reach the recipient? An address.
The same thing holds true for the Internet: to connect with other devices and receive data packets, any device that is part of a network, whether internal or external, requires a unique “house number.” This is where the Internet Protocol address, sometimes referred to simply as IP, enters the picture.
The “IP” part stands for “Internet Protocol,” while the term “address” refers to a one-of-a-kind number associated with all of the activities you carry out online. However, the address you put on an envelope and an IP address look completely different in terms of appearance.
What is an Internet Protocol (IP)?
The Internet Protocol, known more commonly as IP, is a unique numeric identifier for machines in a given network. In other words, it is a collection of rules governing the data packets, data format, and datagrams sent across the Internet and local networks. This protocol is connectionless and datagram-oriented and may function without a centralized monitor or directory.
What is an Internet Protocol (IP) Address?
An Internet Protocol Address, often known as an IP address, is a one-of-a-kind numerical identification assigned to each device linked to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP) for communication. In plain English, this means that an IP address may be used to pinpoint the exact location of a computer or website inside a network. An example of an IP address: 193.17.2.3
Below, we’ll boil down the central systems and protocols to the bare bones to give you a better idea of what it is all about and how IP addresses work in the digital age. However, before we get down to the nitty-gritty, let’s take a look at the history and evolution of IP addresses.
How It All Started – The Origin
Before the modern internet, phone networks relied on circuit switching—a dedicated line stayed open for the entire call. That worked for voice, but it didn’t scale well once computers started sending data, which needed higher capacity, flexibility, and better reliability.
The breakthrough was packet switching: splitting data into small packets that can travel across shared links and be reassembled at the destination. This idea became the foundation for the internet—and eventually for how every device is identified using an Internet Protocol IP Address.
In the early 1960s, researcher Paul Baran proposed resilient, distributed communication methods. Around the same era, Donald Davies helped develop and popularize the packet-switching approach that would shape modern networking.
These ideas led to ARPANET, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s ARPA, which connected research institutions so they could share computing resources and data more efficiently. Early routing devices (similar to today’s routers) helped move packets between sites.
- 1960s: Packet-switching concepts take shape (Baran, Davies).
- 1969: ARPANET is built by BBN and begins connecting nodes.
- Early 1970s: ARPANET expands and adds international links (e.g., Europe).
- 1974: Early versions of TCP emerge, aiming for stronger internetwork communication.
- 1983: ARPANET officially transitions from NCP to TCP/IP—a key step toward the modern internet.
As TCP evolved, networking functions were separated into layers: TCP handled reliable delivery, while Internet Protocol (IP) handled addressing and routing—making the Internet Protocol IP Address essential for identifying devices on a growing global network. As the internet commercialized, registries such as ARIN and others helped organize IP address allocation and keep standards consistent worldwide.
Types of IP Addresses
There is a wide variety of IP address types, ranging from private IP addresses to IP addresses broadcast via an Ethernet network. They are all designed to perform the same job: ensuring that data packets are delivered to the address specified for them. Let’s discuss them in detail.
| IP Address Type | Definition |
|---|---|
| Public IP Address | An IP address that can be accessed directly over the Internet. |
| Private IP Address | A non-internet-facing IP address used in an internal network. |
| Static IP Address | A type of IP address that stays the same over time and doesn’t change. |
| Dynamic IP Address | An address that changes from time to time and is not always the same. |
| Dedicated IP Address | A type of website IP address that is unique for each website. |
| Shared IP Address | A type of website IP address shared between multiple domains. |
Versions of IP Address
Generally, IP addresses come in two distinct forms, each visually distinguishable. They are similar in that each has a device component (for assignment to a certain computer) and a network component (used for IP routing). Here is the version of the IP address for the present (IPv4) and the future (IPv6).
IPv4 Addresses for the Present
The majority of websites now running utilize addresses that adhere to Internet Protocol Version 4, often known as IPv4. They are composed of 32 bits and refer to a 32-digit binary number. This wild numerical creature is often depicted as a mixture of 4 decimal figures with values ranging from 0 to 255, separated by points to ensure that it remains under control.
IPv6 Addresses for the Future
The availability of IPv4 addresses is rapidly decreasing due to the growing number of commonplace devices needing their own IP addresses. IPv6 has been introduced as the immediate successor to accomplish this goal, making it possible to have around 340 undecillion addresses (a figure with 37 zeros) for a virtually limitless supply of all future IP needs.
Classification Based on Operational Characteristics
The following are the subnetworks and classes of an IP address based on operational characteristics.
- Broadcast Addressing: Rather than being assigned to a single host, a broadcast address is used to communicate simultaneously with all computers connected to a certain subnet. In other words, it enables information to be transmitted to all devices on a certain subnet instead of sending it to a particular machine. This service is accessible over IPv4 protocol.
- Unicast Addressing: Mostly commonly used method for IP addressing, the term “unicast” refers to data transmission from one location in a network to another individually. It is an address that identifies a unique node on a network. This approach may be used for either the transmission or reception of data and is accessible in both IPv4 and IPv6 formats.
- Multicast Addressing: Mainly used for one-to-many communication, a multicast address is a special kind of Internet Protocol (IP) address that labels a place on a network and is operated for multicasting data packets inside a network. Generally, the multicast group addresses are generally specified by their class D addresses, ranging from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255.
- Anycast Addressing: An anycast address is allotted to a group of interfaces, most of which belong to separate routers. The routing protocol defines the distance between the two interfaces. For instance, when a data packet is meant to be sent to an anycast address, it is delivered to the interface with the address closest to the packet’s destination.
IP Address Security Threats
Cybercriminals might use various methods to access your IP address— social engineering and internet stalking being two of the most popular forms. If someone manages to get their hands on your IP address, they have the potential to cause a lot of trouble, from sending unwanted messages to assaulting the computer with full-on cyberattacks. Here are some common possibilities.
- Attackers may send you personalized spam.
- They may learn your geographic location.
- Restrict your activities to certain services.
- Prevent you from playing games online.
- Execute a Denial of Service (DoS/DDoS) attack.
- Gain access to PII (personally identifiable information).
- Frame you for creating national security threats.
- Sue you for several copyright infringements.
What can someone do with your IP address? Well, they can do a fair bit of damage, from flooding your email with spam to engaging in illicit actions using the identity of your device. Thankfully, there are ways to safeguard yourself, such as using antivirus software or a VPN. Nevertheless, you always have the option to merely change your IP address if all else fails, of course. Regardless of your chosen solution, a secure device ensures that your address will remain private.
So there you have it: everything you need to know about IP addresses. We hope this article helped broaden your understanding of the evolution of IP addresses, the distinctions between the different kinds of IP addresses, and how they serve as the foundation for device communications over the Internet and in local networks.
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