IP (Internet Protocol) Address
1. Definition
- a unique numeric label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the IP for communication.
- two primary functions:
- identifying a host or network interface
- providing the location of the host in the network topology
2. Types of IP Addresses
- Consists of 32 bits.
- Forms over 4.3 billion unique addresses.
- Format: four octets separated by dots (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
- Developed due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses.
- Consists of 128 bits.
- Can support about 340 undecillion addresses.
- Format: eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334).
3. Static vs. Dynamic IP Addresses
- Static IP Addresses
- Permanently assigned to a computer by an ISP.
- Dynamic IP Addresses
4. IP-related Concepts and Connections
- Translates human-readable domain names to IP addresses.
- Divides a large network into smaller, manageable segments.
- Allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address.
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