Intro #
An Internet Protocol (IP) address functions as your computer’s digital address on the internet or a local network. This unique identifier allows other computers to locate you and transmit data to your device. Network engineers categorize IP addresses into three primary groups based on their specific functionality:
Private Networks These IP ranges work exclusively within local area networks (LANs), such as homes or small offices. Devices on a private network can communicate with each other, but they require a gateway or router to access the public internet.
Public Networks Public IP addresses facilitate communication across the global internet. Because these addresses must be unique worldwide, no two machines can share the same public IP at any given time. This uniqueness ensures that data reaches the correct destination across the global web.
Reserved Networks The networking industry reserves these specific IP ranges for specialized technical purposes. Use cases include multi-casting, broadcasting, link-local communication, and academic research or testing.
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) #
This is the main standard being used on the internet today. Every computer on a network requires an IP address to be able to communicate; e.g. send email, browse the internet & share files.
Example of an IPv4 address: 192.168.1.1
Total IP addresses in the IPv4 range: 4,294,967,296 (232)
Due to the limited number of addresses in the IPv4 ranges, a newer standard was created to replace it. The newer standard is known as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
Comparison of Network Types #
| Network Type | Scope | Accessibility |
| Private | Local (LAN) | Internal only; hidden from the public web. |
| Public | Global (WAN) | Fully reachable from any point on the internet. |
| Reserved | Technical | Restricted to specific protocols (e.g., 127.0.0.1 for loopback). |
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) #
This is the standard that is replacing the IPv4 standard. The main advantage of this version over the previous is the sheer number of IP addresses available for use.
Example of an IPv6 address: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Total IP addresses in the IPv6 range: 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 (2128)
IPv6 has many improvements over IPv4 such as:
- Larger address space
- Stateless address autoconfiguration
- Better security
- Simplified packet header for more efficient processing
IPv4 compatibility with IPv6 #
Due to the changes in the packet header for IPv6, the 2 protocols are not interoperable. To enable a more seamless transition from IPv4 to IPv6, dual-stack IP implementation were introduced. Any device with dual-stack IP implementation has both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. This enables the device to communicate with either IPv4 or IPv6.
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