What an IP address is and how this digital address works

Whenever a website is opened, a photo viewed or a file downloaded on the internet, large amounts of data travel from one device to another. The Internet Protocol, or IP, address plays a central role throughout that exchange.

An IP address is the numerical address used to identify a device connected to the internet or to a local network. Much like a home address, it helps locate a particular device on a network.

Every internet-connected device is identified through such an address, and data is delivered to its intended destination with its help. Computers, smartphones and laptops, as well as smart televisions and various Internet of Things (IoT) devices, all have IP addresses.

It makes it possible to send data from one device to another and to receive data back from a specific destination.

There are two versions of the IP address: Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

IPv4 is the older version. It allows a maximum of roughly 4.3 billion unique addresses. As the number of internet users and connected devices kept growing, that range eventually became insufficient.

IPv6 was introduced to overcome that limitation. By type of use, IP addresses can also be divided into four kinds: public, private, static and dynamic.

When a user visits a website, their device sends a request for data to the relevant server. The server then sends the requested data back to the user's device. IP addresses are used to identify the source and the destination in this exchange, so the data finds its way to the right network and device.

These addresses are created and allocated following specific mathematical rules and structures. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is responsible for managing IP address ranges and allocations worldwide.

In the IPv4 system, addresses range from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. Each such address is made of four numbers separated by dots.