An IP address, which stands for Internet Protocol address, is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to a network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. This address allows devices to locate and identify each other on a network, ensuring that data sent from one device reaches the correct destination. An IP address is composed of numbers and, in the case of IPv4, the most commonly used version, it consists of four sets of numbers separated by periods, for example, 192.168.1.1. Each set of numbers can range from 0 to 255. There is also a newer version called IPv6, which is composed of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, to accommodate a much larger number of devices on the internet. IP addresses are fundamental to the functioning of the internet and are used for various purposes, including hosting websites, delivering emails, and streaming videos. They can be dynamic, changing with each connection to the internet, or static, permanently assigned to a device, often for hosting servers or other services that require a constant address.
