An
Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique identifier assigned to each device
that connects to the internet. It enables communication between devices by
identifying the sender and receiver of data packets. IP addresses are
represented in decimal format, with four sets of numbers separated by dots, and
each set of numbers can range from 0 to 255.
There
are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 is the older protocol and
still widely used but has a limited number of available IP addresses. IPv6 was
developed to expand the address space and provide a much larger pool of IP
addresses. However, the adoption of IPv6 has been slow due to compatibility
issues with older systems.
Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) assigns IP addresses to regional Internet
registries (RIRs), which allocate them to internet service providers (ISPs),
organizations, and individuals. ISPs usually assign dynamic IP addresses to
their customers, which can change over time. Meanwhile, organizations often use
static IP addresses that remain the same.
IP
addresses are used in various ways in internet communication. Web servers use
IP addresses to direct incoming requests to the appropriate website, and email
servers use them to route messages to their intended recipients. Furthermore,
IP addresses are commonly used in cybersecurity to identify potential threats
and block malicious traffic.
Recently,
privacy and security concerns have been raised about IP addresses. To protect
their online activities from being tracked, some users opt to use virtual
private networks (VPNs) or other privacy-enhancing tools to mask their IP
addresses.
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