What Is an IP Address?

An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is like a digital name tag for devices on a network. It's what helps them find and talk to each other on the internet.

There are two main kinds of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers, usually written like 192.168.0.1. IPv6 addresses are longer, 128-bit numbers, written in a hexadecimal format like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Every device that connects to a network needs its own unique IP address to send and receive data. Without one, it can't talk to other devices or use the internet.

IP addresses are given out by ISPs or network admins. They can stay the same (static) or change from time to time (dynamic), depending on how the network is set up.

To sum it up, an IP address is a special number that lets devices find each other and communicate on the internet.