WHAT IS A NETWORK OR IP ADDRESS?

 A network or IP address is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to a network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. IP addresses enable devices to locate and communicate with each other on a network, whether it's a local network (LAN) or the broader internet. There are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.


 IPv4 Address

An IPv4 address consists of four numbers separated by dots, with each number ranging from 0 to 255 (e.g., 192.168.1.1). This format provides approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses.


 IPv6 Address

An IPv6 address is a longer format designed to accommodate the growing number of internet-connected devices. It consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334), providing an almost limitless number of unique addresses.


Purpose

IP addresses serve two primary purposes:

1. **Identification**: They identify a device on a network.

2. **Location**: They provide the location of the device in the network, facilitating the routing of data packets to and from the device.


Types of IP Addresses

- **Public IP Address**: Assigned to devices that need to communicate over the public internet.

- **Private IP Address**: Used within private networks (e.g., home, office networks) and not routable on the public internet.

- **Static IP Address**: Permanently assigned to a device.

- **Dynamic IP Address**: Temporarily assigned, often by a DHCP server, and can change over time.


In essence, an IP address is crucial for networking, enabling devices to find each other and exchange information efficiently.

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