What is IP Address - Full Explain

IP address (Internet Protocol address): 

This number is a exclusive number all information technology devices (printers, routers, modems, et al) use which identifies and allows them the ability to communicate with each other on a computer network.  There is a standard of communication which is called an Internet Protocol standard (IP).  In layman’s terms it is the same as your home address. In order for you to receive snail mail at home the sending party must have your correct mailing address (IP address) in your town (network) or you do not receive bills, pizza coupons or your tax refund.  The same is true for all equipment on the internet.  Without this specific address, information cannot be received.  IP addresses may either be assigned permanently for an Email server/Business server or a permanent home resident or temporarily, from a pool of available addresses (first come first serve) from your Internet Service Provider. A permanent number may not be available in all areas and may cost extra so be sure to ask your ISP.

Domain Names:(Domain Name System-DNS ), this allows the IP address to be translated to words.  It is much easier for us to remember a word than a series of numbers.  The same is true for email addresses.

For example it is much easier for you to remember whatismyip.com than 102.456.789.456 or in the case of email it is much easier to remember anonymous@mars.com than 09.565.555.972@904.342.897.098

Dynamic IP Address: 

This is the number which was mentioned above in the IP address section.  This is the formal type of IP address issued to you from a pool of numbers allocated by your Internet Service Provider. This is for a large number of customers that do not require the same number all the time for a variety of reasons.  Your computer will automatically get this number and saves you the trouble of having to know details regarding the specific network configurations. This number can be assigned to anyone using a dial-up connection, Wireless and High Speed Internet connections.  If you need to run your own email server, I suggest getting a static IP as most ISP’s have blocked a range of internet addresses due to spamming reasons.

Static IP Address: An IP address that is fixed and never changes. This is in contrast to a dynamic IP address which may change at any time

IP version 4:  Those series of numbers separated by dots is known as Ipv4.  It is a mathematical equation which we are running out of quickly.  Just like in a home town addresses have to be created for new neighborhoods but, if your neighborhood gets too large, you will have to come up with a another pool of addresses.  The Ipv4 is limited to how many addresses can be created for public use.

IP version 5: This is an experimental protocol for UNIX based systems. In keeping with standard UNIX (a computer Operating System) release conventions, all odd-numbered versions are considered experimental. It was never intended to be used by the general public.

IP version 6:The new mathematical formula to replace Ipv4 for expanding the public IP address pool.  It has not been released yet but will be very soon.  The estimated number of unique addresses is 40,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456. The old and current standard of addresses was this: 192.168.100.100  the new way can be written different ways but means the same and are all valid:

* 1080:0000:0000:0000:0000:0034:0000:417A

* 1080:0:0:0:0:34:0:417A

* 1080::34:0:417A