Introduction to IP Addresses
Understanding the foundation of internet communication
What is an IP Address?
Think of it as your device's "digital fingerprint" or home address on the internet.
Just like your home address helps mail carriers deliver packages, an IP address helps data packets find their way to your device across the internet.
IPv4 vs IPv6
IPv4
- Format: 192.168.1.1 (four groups of numbers)
- 32-bit address space
- ~4.3 billion possible addresses
- Most common version currently in use
IPv6
- Format: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
- 128-bit address space
- 340 undecillion possible addresses
- Created to solve IPv4 address exhaustion
How IP Addresses Work
When you type a website URL into your browser, your device uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to convert that human-readable address into an IP address. Data is then sent from your device's IP address to the server's IP address in small packets.
Public vs Private IP Addresses
Public IP addresses are assigned by your ISP and are visible to the internet. Private IP addresses (like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) are used within your local network and are not directly accessible from the internet.
💡 Quick Tip
You can check your public IP address instantly on our homepage!