Fast Facts About IP Addresses

Elbert Lemarck
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

Did you know that when your computer logs onto the internet, it has an IP address? This is what the network uses to identify your computer. It doesn’t look like what you might think of when you think of a typical address, though. It’s a series of numbers separated with decimal points. Your IP address will identify your city and state, but it will not give your specific address. This can be reassuring for those who appreciate their privacy. You can look up your IP address by using a site such as IPme. It can also tell you who your internet provider is. Without an IP address, you would not be able to connect to the internet.

History of IP Addresses

While the internet only became a common thing in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, there have been IP addresses around since the 1970’s. In the beginning, it was mainly used in the military as a way of identifying computers within the same network. Over time, universities started using IP addresses, as well as other users within a network. Now, it is something that every computer in the world that is connected to the internet uses.

Different Versions

IPv4 used to be the type of IP addresses used. Even though there are 4.29 billion of them available, they have been all used up as of February 2011. Because of this, a new version has been created, the IPv6. While some networks still use the IPv4 system, all computers are still able to communicate with each other, regardless of which type of IP address is used.

The IPv6 version of IP addresses provides an almost infinite number of available addresses. Not only that, but it provides more security.

IPv6

While many networks are still running on IPv4, it will not take long before all will run on the IPv6 system. You can use IPme to view your IP address to see how your network is logged. Because the IPv4 system is overloaded, it can cause problems with connecting to the internet. This is especially true for things such as online gaming and running certain internet applications.

As you can see, IP addresses can be quite complex. There is a lot that goes into them, and they are very important for internet connections. If you use the internet to check your email, participate in online gaming, connect with your friends on social media, or anything else, then your computer has an IP address.

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