Your IP Address

216.73.216.161 📋
IPv6: 📋

What is an IP address?

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is essentially a unique identification number for machines connected to any network. You could view this as a mailing address, just for your online activity. Since they were first developed in the 1970s, IP addresses have evolved to define how devices interact on the internet. IP addresses are like GPS locations for devices (including servers) on any network. Whether you're simply surfing the web, watching a video on YouTube, or booking your next holiday, IP addresses are certainly involved. Read more about IP addresses on Wikipedia.

How does an IP address work?

IP addresses are typically assigned to devices by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Since ISPs provide you with access to the internet, it's their responsibility to assign an IP address to your device. For instance, if AT&T or COX is your ISP, they're responsible for assigning IPs to your devices. When you attempt to connect to their internet, your online activity first goes to your ISP and is immediately routed to your device via your IP address. Note that while IPv4 offers a limited number of addresses that can be assigned, this is not the case with IPv6. Here is an article by HowToGeek exlaining how IP addresses work.

IPv6 and IPv4

IPv6 was designed to be the next-generation protocol that fixes the limitations and flaws in IPv4. Sadly, since these two protocols cannot communicate with each other, IPv4 will not become obsolete anytime soon. Here are the key differences between these two protocols –

• Address style - IPv4 addresses are numeric and have their binary bits separated by dots (.). Meanwhile, IPv6 addresses are alphanumeric and separated by columns (:)
• Size of IP addresses IPv4 addresses are 32-bits by design, while IPv6 addresses are 128-bit.
• Checksum - IPv4 has checksum fields, while IPv6 offers none.
• Security - Security is built into the IPv6 protocol, whereas, with IPv4, security is dependent on the application.
• Mobile compatibility - IPv4's use of the dot-decimal notation makes it less suitable for mobile networks. IPv6's representation in hexadecimal, colon-separated notation makes it more suitable for mobile networks.
• Sample address - IPv4 - 127.0.0.1, and IPv6 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:ff00:0042:7879
• However, both protocols can exist simultaneously on a network.