1) What is IP Address?
An IP Address (Internet Protocol Address) is a unique number assigned to every device connected to a network. It helps devices communicate with each other over the internet.
Just like a home address helps in delivering parcels, an IP address helps in sending and receiving data between devices.
2) Why do we need it?
IP addresses are essential because they:
Identify devices on a network
Enable communication between devices
Help in sending and receiving data accurately
Without an IP address, the internet cannot function properly.
3) Types of IP Address
IPv4
The most commonly used type of IP address.
Format: 192.168.1.1
It consists of 4 numbers separated by dots
IPv6
The newer version designed to replace IPv4.
Format: 2001:0db8:85a3::7334
Uses hexadecimal numbers (0–9 and A–F)
Provides a much larger number of addresses
4) IPv4 Address Range
0.0.0.0 → 255.255.255.255
This means:
Minimum IP address: 0.0.0.0
Maximum IP address: 255.255.255.255
Total Number of IPv4 Addresses: 2³² = 4,294,967,296
Private IP Address Ranges
Private IP addresses are used within local networks such as homes, offices, and organizations.
10.0.0.0 → 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 → 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 → 192.168.255.255
These IPs are not accessible directly over the internet and are mainly used for internal communication.
Loopback Address
127.0.0.1 - Known as localhost
Used to test networking on the same device
Special IP Addresses
0.0.0.0 → Represents an unknown or default network
255.255.255.255 → Used as a broadcast address to communicate with all devices in a network
5) IPv6 Address Range
0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000
to
FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF
Total IPv6 Addresses - 2¹²⁸ (extremely large number)
This is approximately 340 undecillion addresses, ensuring we never run out of IPs.
Each Block Range
Each of the 8 blocks in IPv6 can range from: 0000 to FFFF
Each block has 65,536 possible values.
Why IPv6 is Huge?
IPv4 → 32 bits → ~4 billion addresses
IPv6 → 128 bits → extremely large number of addresses
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