What is an IP address?
An IP address is a unique identifier that is assigned to your modem when it's trying to connect to the internet. Once connected, the modem is assigned a public IP address. This IP address was dynamically chosen through Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), meaning that it was assigned to your modem randomly from a large pool of numbers. IP addresses can also be assigned staticly, meaning that the IP address has been assigned specifically in the network and in your device for you to use so it never changes.
If your device is connected to a router then it will be assigned a private IP address by the router.
An IP address is much like having a street address. In order for someone to send you mail, they need to know your address. It's the same situation with IP addresses. It is needed for other computers and servers to be able to communicate with your computer and vice versa.
An IP address is a unique identifier that is assigned to your modem when it's trying to connect to the internet. Once connected, the modem is assigned a public IP address. This IP address was dynamically chosen through Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), meaning that it was assigned to your modem randomly from a large pool of numbers. IP addresses can also be assigned staticly, meaning that the IP address has been assigned specifically in the network and in your device for you to use so it never changes.
If your device is connected to a router then it will be assigned a private IP address by the router.
An IP address is much like having a street address. In order for someone to send you mail, they need to know your address. It's the same situation with IP addresses. It is needed for other computers and servers to be able to communicate with your computer and vice versa.
What is the difference between a public IP and a private IP?
A public IP is one that is assigned by a network and is able to be seen on the internet. Your IP address is tied to many (if not most) of the things you do on the internet and can be used to identify what general location you are at, as well as the company that is providing the internet service. This is because blocks of IPs are assigned to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) by the governing body called American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). These blocks are then broken up and used for a variety of purposes including one being assigned to your modem so your devices can connect to the internet.
A private IP address is one given to your device when it connects to a private network, such as if your device is connected to your home router. Private IPs are not viewable on the internet in general. It is specific to your network and is managed by the router you are connected to. These generally start with 192.168.0.0 unless they are changed by a network administrator to something else.
A public IP is one that is assigned by a network and is able to be seen on the internet. Your IP address is tied to many (if not most) of the things you do on the internet and can be used to identify what general location you are at, as well as the company that is providing the internet service. This is because blocks of IPs are assigned to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) by the governing body called American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). These blocks are then broken up and used for a variety of purposes including one being assigned to your modem so your devices can connect to the internet.
A private IP address is one given to your device when it connects to a private network, such as if your device is connected to your home router. Private IPs are not viewable on the internet in general. It is specific to your network and is managed by the router you are connected to. These generally start with 192.168.0.0 unless they are changed by a network administrator to something else.
What is the difference between dynamic and static IP addresses?
Dynamic IP addresses are ones that are assigned by the network when a device connecting to it requests one. The IP address is pulled from a larger pool of IPs that are set aside for customer connections. The IP address your device is given is assigned for a 24 hour lease. At the end of that lease your device will ask the network for an IP again. It may be given the same IP address again or it may be assigned another. This is why you may not have the same IP address today as you had yesterday or another time.
And all of this happens seamlessly in the background, so your service isn't interrupted.
Static IP addresses are ones that are assigned specifically to you in the system so no one else can use it. When your device tries to connect to the internet, instead of asking for an IP to be assigned to it dynamically, it asks the system to use the specific IP that it is set up with. If that IP address is available, which it should be, the network allows that connection. Static IP addresses are only assigned to Commercial customers and are not allowed on residential accounts.
Dynamic IP addresses are ones that are assigned by the network when a device connecting to it requests one. The IP address is pulled from a larger pool of IPs that are set aside for customer connections. The IP address your device is given is assigned for a 24 hour lease. At the end of that lease your device will ask the network for an IP again. It may be given the same IP address again or it may be assigned another. This is why you may not have the same IP address today as you had yesterday or another time.
And all of this happens seamlessly in the background, so your service isn't interrupted.
Static IP addresses are ones that are assigned specifically to you in the system so no one else can use it. When your device tries to connect to the internet, instead of asking for an IP to be assigned to it dynamically, it asks the system to use the specific IP that it is set up with. If that IP address is available, which it should be, the network allows that connection. Static IP addresses are only assigned to Commercial customers and are not allowed on residential accounts.
How can I find my public IP address?
There are multiple ways to find out which public IP address you are using at any given point. But the easiest way is to go to one of the many websites that are set up specifically to show you what your IP is, such as whatismyipaddress.com or ipchicken.com
If you are using the Chrome browser, Firefox browser or an updated version of Internet Explorer, you can also do a Google search for "my ip address" and it will list your public IP address for you at the top of the search results!
There are multiple ways to find out which public IP address you are using at any given point. But the easiest way is to go to one of the many websites that are set up specifically to show you what your IP is, such as whatismyipaddress.com or ipchicken.com
If you are using the Chrome browser, Firefox browser or an updated version of Internet Explorer, you can also do a Google search for "my ip address" and it will list your public IP address for you at the top of the search results!
There are certain IPs and IP ranges that are not for use by most people because they are reserved for specific functions in either the computer or the network. The IP addresses listed below will be seen if your device is connected directly to the modem without a router being used.
- 255.255.255.255 - This address is reserved for the network to send broadcast messages to all computers on the network.
- 127.0.0.1 - This IP address is referred to as the "loopback" address. It is your computers way of identifying itself, no matter if it has an assigned IP address or not. It is typically used for troubleshooting and network testing.
- 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 - This range is called the Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) range. IPs in this range are assigned automatically when a computer is unsuccessful in getting an address from the DHCP server.
If your device is connected to a router, either wired or wirelessly, there is a different set of IP addresses or ranges that you might see.
- 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 - Called a Class A range. This range holds 16,777,216 IP addresses available for use. Most of the time, this range is only used by ISPs and other very large organizations simply because of the sheer size of it.
- 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 - Called a Class B range. This range holds 1,048,576 IP addresses available for use. It is typically used by medium sized networks such as a large college campus.
- 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 - Called a Class C range. This range holds 65,536 IP addresses available for use. This is the IP range that is most commonly used by routers to assign IPs for an internal or private network. Obviously you will not use them all. But it is one of the smallest ranges.
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