Have you heard about the IP address? You must have come across it if you are using a computer for a long time. It is a kind of numerical address that is unique for every device to maintain a network for communication. To connect with other devices in different parts of the world through the internet, you will need an IP address. Your computer requires the address of the other computer which wants to set up communication.
What is an IP address used for? This question is asked by a lot of people who are new to the internet world or they haven’t explored the technicalities of it. The IP address contains two major parts including host and network. In the network, a special number has been assigned to it and it also helps in identifying the network class. It takes up two parts of the IPv4 address and the host part takes the remaining part. The host parts of the address keep changing but the network part remains the same all the time.
Versions of IP address
The basic versions of IP addresses which are used commonly are IPv6 and IPv4. There are several features available with these versions. You might be aware of what is an ip address used for. Now you should know more about its types and versions. No matter which features you use, it would be beneficial to you completely. Here are more details about both the versions of IP address:
• IPv6
This is the recent Internet Protocol version made when shortage issues for IPv4 were observed. It was developed by IETF and it might replace IPv4 soon. It makes use of a 128-bit address and is represented by the 4 hexadecimal digits in 8 groups. It provides better connectivity as compared to the older version. It allows faster routing and offers administration ease. It is a secure option for networks and applications. Even though it has got several features, it hasn’t been able to gain so much popularity like the previous version.
• IPv4 address
This version of Internet protocol was introduced in the year 1981. There aren’t many changes made to this version till now. Although, there is a need for a lot more changes in this IP version. The maximum number of IPv4 addresses can be around 232. Only four billion IP addresses can be possible with the help of this version.
For specific purposes, there can be registered IP addresses for some people. Here are the major types of special IP addresses used by internet users all over the world:
• Private address
It is an IP address which is useful for some internal and secretive purpose in the network through NAT and router. It is also known as the local IP address. Almost every IP address has got a set of private internet protocol addresses. This address can’t be routed to one network only.
• Broadcast address
The broadcast address is useful to address all the different nodes in the given network. With the use of a broadcast address, you can send information, data, and files to all nodes which are connected in that particular network.
• Loopback address
The address which is like 124.9.0.1 is useful to the ping device itself. It is also used to check IP software functionality.
• Network address
The IP address which is useful for the identification of the network is known as Network IP address.
So, these are the types of IP addresses used by the devices in the world to establish a better connection in the world. You must have understood the basic idea of an IP address and its usage.