What is an IP address?
Imagine that the IP address is like your home address, but for your computer or any device connected to the Internet. Each device has its own IP address, which allows it to send and receive information, such as emails or surfing the web.
There are two main versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: What is the difference?
- IPv4 is like the first version of IP addresses, and it works with a 32-bit number. It is like an old telephone number, but now there are so many connected devices that these numbers started to run out.
- IPv6 was created to solve this. It uses much longer, 128-bit addresses, which means that there are millions of addresses available, as if infinite phone numbers had been invented.
Most consulted IP accesses
What types of IP addresses are there?
The IP addresses can be of two types:
- static IP: This is a fixed address, as if you always have the same phone number. It is useful for things that must always be located in the same place, such as a server.
- Dynamic IP: This changes from time to time. It is as if your phone number changes from time to time. This is most common for devices like your phone or home computer.
What is an IP address for?
The IP addresses have several important functions:
- Locate devices: Helps identify where a device is on a network, such as finding a friend’s house on a map.
- Connect devices: Allows devices to “talk” to each other, such as sending messages or files.
- Send data: Ensures that the data you send gets to the right place, such as putting the correct address on a package.
Did you know that there are different classes of IP addresses?
Depending on the size of the network, IP addresses are divided into different classes:
- Class A: for large networks, such as a city full of houses.
- Class B: For medium-sized networks, such as a neighborhood.
- Class C: For small networks, such as a street.
- Class D: For sending messages to many people at once, such as a WhatsApp group.
- Class E: Reserved for experimenting and things of the future.
How does an IP address protect you?
Your IP address is also like a security barrier. It can be used to track who is doing something suspicious on the Internet, such as someone trying to hack into your account, and block their access.
Helpful tip: If you ever need to go into your router’s settings to change something, you can do so by typing the IP address of your router into your browser. The most common is 192.168.0.1. It’s like walking into the back door of your house to tweak things your way.