What Is an IP Address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device on a network. It serves two functions: identifying the host and specifying the host's location in the network. Without IP addresses, the internet could not route packets between devices.
IPv4 vs IPv6
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.1), providing roughly 4.3 billion unique addresses. These were exhausted in 2011. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses (e.g., 2001:db8::1), providing 340 undecillion addresses — effectively unlimited.
Private vs Public IP Addresses
Private IP ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) are used within local networks and are not routable on the internet. Your router translates between private and public IPs using NAT (Network Address Translation).
Understanding CIDR Notation
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) notation expresses an IP address and its network mask together: 192.168.1.0/24 means the first 24 bits are the network, leaving 8 bits for hosts — 256 addresses, with 254 usable. Use our Subnet Calculator to compute ranges instantly.
