What is an IP Address?

December 6, 2022 Off By Zak Morris

An IP address is a unique number that identifies a device on a network. It allows devices to communicate with each other over the internet or any other network.

Every device that connects to the internet has an IP address. This includes computers, smartphones, tablets, and even some home appliances like TVs and printers.

IP addresses are made up of four numbers separated by periods. These numbers can range from 0 to 255. For example, an IP address might look like this: 192.168.1.1

Each number in an IP address represents 8 bits (a byte) of information. That means there are a total of 32 bits in an IP address. The four numbers in an IP address are often referred to as octets because they each represent 8 bits of information.

Most home users have what’s called a dynamic IP address. This means that your ISP assigns you a new IP address each time you connect to the internet. This is different from a static IP address, which is a unique number that’s assigned to you and doesn’t change.

Some websites and online services require you to have a static IP address. For example, if you wanted to run your own website or server, you would need to have a static IP address so that people could always find your site at the same location.

If you’re not sure what your IP address is, there are a few ways to find out. One easy way is to do a search for “what is my IP address” in your favourite search engine. This will usually return your public IP address, which is the address that’s assigned to you by your ISP.