Everything You Should Know About IP Addresses

What's an IP Address

An IP or Internet Protocol is the unique and logical numerical address assigned to all devices (e.g., A Laptop, Desktop, Mobile, Router) when they connected to the Internet.

It's only possible with a unique IP to identify your network on the Internet.

An IP address has two main features, Identification of network and locating the geological address.

Why an IP Address Used For?

Let's understand it with an example. When, You going to ordered X-product from Amazon, before placing the order Amazon asks for the address where the X-product product needs to be delivered. Together with the address it also asks your name and mobile number.

If the curiour found your address, the X-product will be delivered to you. If you requested for the return of that product, He'll come to the same address again.

Hence, to deliver and return of something address is a must.

The IP address is also the address of your network, similar to your home address. When you send the data (send query) on the Internet, the response from the Internet comes only to you as your address is unique throughout.

Types of IP Address

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are usually of two types: Private and Public.

Private IP Address 

Private IP used for the identification of devices within your local network. In an organization, Home, and offices computers are being connected with private IPs (Local Networks) to communicate with each other. These IP addresses are not valid on the internet. 

For Example, When your all devices (Printer, Laptop, Mobile) connected to the same local Home network using Wi-Fi, None of outside person can see your devices also they have no choice to take printout remotely from your printer, but you can. It's valid only within the network. They aren’t unique throughout.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) reserves private IP addresses range for IPv4 which further categorized into class A, B, C based on their ranges.

 

               Class A :  10.0.0.0  to 10.255.255.255

               Class B :  172.16.0.0  to 172.31.255.255

               Class C :  192.168.0.0  to 192.168.255.255

How to Find Private IP

The ways of finding private IP is differing on each device.

1. If you're a windows user, open the command prompt and type the command ipconfig
2. For Linux, launch terminal window and type ifconfig or hostname-I or ip addr show
3. On macOS, use the same command ifconfig

Public (External) IP Address

A Public Ip address is assigned to all network-based devices by your ISP when they connect to the Internet. It's an IP address that is unique throughout on the Internet and can only be assigned to a unique device. So, there cannot exist two computers with the same public IP address. The private IP isn't valid on the Internet while A public IP is valid, which identify your network on the Internet. A public IP also refer to Internet IP. 

Mostly the ISPs provide the dynamic IPs that change from time to time after the lease time expire. Dynamic IP is more convenient for both users and ISPs.

The static IPs are more costly compared with dynamic IP addresses because a static IP address which is fixed and that is always only for the single device even if it's offline. Static IPs are always active although they are not been used. So, your ISP lose those ones.

But, If it's a dynamic IP address (changeable) as you go offline, your last IP is assigned to the new computer that within your range. So there is interchanging of IP addresses is possible and no IP addresses are going to be waste like static IPs.

If your ISP issued a static IP (a fixed IP) which never change automatically, For a dynamic IP address, open default gateway address for changing your router settings, enable the DHCP under network setting. Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP), which tells your router to accept whatever the public IP address that issued by your ISP.


Versions of Public IP Address

1. When the Internet discovered, we have only one IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4). Under IPv4, every IP address is 32bits (4 bytes) long, which forms 4.3 billion unique address.

IPv4 Look like :

     172.16.154.1

2. IPv6 was introduced to ensure that there will be enough addresses available for the growing number of online users in 1996 by Internet Engineering Task Force (ITEF).

The size of each IPv6 is 128 bits(16 bytes), which is 4 times bigger than IPv4. Due to large bits size, IPv6 allows approximately (3.4×10³⁸) three hundred and forty trillion unique addresses. IPv6 removes the limitation of online Internet accessor.

IPv6 Look like :

  2001:db8:ffff:1:201:02ff:fe03:0405

How to Find Public IP

A simple way to find your public IP address is by requesting a website since that website connects with you using your public IP only. A lot of websites on the internet find your public IP, but I recommended whatismyipaddress because, It shows your both IPv4 and IPv6. Additionally, provides 'who your ISP is' and the region from where you are browsing the Internet.

In the upcoming article, I'll post on "How to trace any IP addresses...?"

How to Change or Hide an IP 

A common trending query search on Google, "How to change my IP...?" People are distressing about their privacy and want to anonymous on the Internet. Most of the websites are using your location details, cookies, ISP (Internet Service Provider) details you're browsing through. 

 Different ways to hide real IP address using:

1. Proxy Server (Slower than VPN)
2. Tor Browser (Not Reliable)
3. Free Public WIFI (Not Secure)
4. VPN (The Best Way)

The best way to change or hide real IP by using a trusted VPN. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It allows you to access the websites which are blocked in your region. All the traffic that you send and receive are being encrypted by the VPN services. It hides your real IP (IP masking) by virtually placing on their servers. The VPN service usually uses a method called "data tunneling" to make your data undetectable by third parties.

I'm using and recommended the world's most reliable, fast and secure Express VPN. Express VPN strictly follows no logging policy. It means no one can monitor or log your activities that you're doing on the Internet, no one includes Express VPN & your ISP also.

Features of Express VPN

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•  148 Servers available in 94 different countries
•  24/7 Live customer support
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•  IP address masking
•  Allows torrenting
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•  Use on any 3 devices with one subscription plan
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