What is an IP address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical identifier assigned to each device in a computer network that uses the IP protocol. It serves for addressing and routing data between devices in the network, allowing to identify the source and recipient of information.

There are two main types of IP addresses:

• IPv4 — a 32-bit address, usually written as four numbers from 0 to 255, separated by dots, for example, 192.168.1.1.
• IPv6 — a 128-bit address, written as eight groups of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons, for example, 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.

An IP address allows devices to find each other and exchange data on the internet or local network.