An IP (Internet Protocol) address is one of the most fundamental building blocks of the modern internet. At its core, an IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
What It Does: Its primary purpose is to handle the connection between a device and its destination. The IP address provides a unique identifier for your device, allowing online systems to know where to send data. Whether you're browsing a website, sending an email, or streaming a movie, your IP address is what makes it possible for that information to find its way back to you.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: You will often hear about two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 is the older, more common format, consisting of four sets of numbers separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.1.1). IPv6 is the newer format, created to address the shortage of IPv4 addresses. It uses a much longer string of hexadecimal digits.