IP address New

An IP address is unique identifier that allows a computer (or other networked device) to communicate on a TCP/IP network.

All message between devices on a TCP/IP network are routed (directed) based on the IP addresses. IP addresses are similar to telephone numbers, in that computers in the same area are grouped into subnets, just as telephone numbers are grouped into area codes.

IP addresses are made up of four octets of numbers. They are usually written in the form x.x.x.x with a decimal point seperating each set of numbers. An octet can be used to represent any number between 0-255, which means each "x" can range be between 0 and 255. An example IP address would be 192.168.1.1

On a private network you can use any IP addresses you want, but on the Internet IP addresses are assigned by a central authority.

IP addresses are supplied to a users computer by their ISP, this happens automatically for most dial-up, cable and DSL connections. When IP addresses are supplied automaticaly, using a protocol called DHCP, they may change at any time, these type of addresses are called dynamic addresses. If you are running a server, you may require that you always have the same IP address, these types of addresses are called static addresses.

Although most Internet sites can be accessed directly using their IP address they are commonly accessed using their hostname. This translation of hostnames to IP addresses is performed by a DNS server.

See Also

• Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) New