Today we are going to explain what IP addresses are, one of the most common elements that you can find on the Internet. Every web page you visit, every computer you work from, and even the routers you connect to have one of these addresses.
IP means “Internet Protocol”, or what is the same, “Internet Protocol”. It is treated as the name says of a communications protocol through the network. Then, on the other hand, you have the IP address, which is the number that you choose or is assigned to you within the network, and that is the Internet’s way of knowing who is who. So they are a kind of “registration” to identify you when connected. However, there are two types of IP addresses: public IP and private IP, each with a completely different purpose. Read the entire article for understanding more about and article;
What is a Public IP and what is it for?
A Public IP is the address assigned to you by your ISP, companies that provide Internet access such as Telefónica, Vodafone, etc., and serves to identify you within the Internet when you connect. Although there are also fixed ones, it is common for these IPs to be dynamic and change without you noticing from time to time.
No one can surf the web without an IP, and no web page can be online without an associated IP. In fact, when you write an address like ‘www.google.es’, what the browser does is translate that text into an IP address in order to connect to the Google page and access its content. Therefore, these public IP addresses are like the license plate that is assigned to you when you connect. It is a way to identify yourself as a user in the vastness of the network since no IP can be repeated.
What is a Private IP and what is it for?
And on the other hand, there are Private IPs, which are the ones used in private networks like the one you create at home by connecting multiple devices through your WiFi. When you do it, each device like your printer, your router, or your smartphone has its own IP, and so that there are no conflicts they will each have a different IP.
IP addresses are made up of four numbers of up to three digits separated by three points. The values of each number can range from 0 to 255, so an IP address could be 192.168.1.1. Within the thousands of combinations that can be generated with this numbering, there are three ranges that are reserved exclusively for private IPs, and they are the following:
- Class A : 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255.
- Class B : 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255.
- Class C : 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255.
Class A is for the largest networks, such as those of international companies. Class B private IPs are for medium-sized networks, such as a university network, and Class C addresses are typically used for smaller, home networks. For example, meu ip 192.168.1.1 is part of class C, and that is why it is reserved to enter your home router. It is very important that you do not confuse the IP address with the MAC address. The MAC is a unique identifier for device network cards and is usually fixed for each device (although you can change it). Meanwhile, the IP of your computer does not always have to be the same, and more than to identify devices, it serves to identify you as a user on the Internet.
It must be made clear that private IPs are not repeated within the same network. This means that in your house each connected device will have a different IP without repeating any, but that in my house one of my devices can have the same IP as one of yours because they are different networks. You also have to be clear that the private IP of your computer is not the same as the public one. Within your network, your computer will identify itself among the rest of the devices with its private IP, but when you go out to the Internet you will do so through a public IP that will be different.
How can I get my IP?
Being the identifier with which you go out to the network, it never hurts to know what your public IP is. To obtain it there are different methods depending on your operating system, but the easiest way is to use a page specialized in showing it to you. There are hundreds of them, and it’s a quick method that doesn’t depend on your operating system.
For example, just by entering pages like see meuip or https://meuip.pt you can see automatically and without having to click anywhere what your public IP is. In them, you can also check if you browse through a proxy that hides your real IP.
With these methods, what they will obtain are your Public IP addresses, which are the most useful when surfing the net. Private IPs can be obtained in the network settings of your operating system ( Settings -> Network and Internet -> See network properties in Windows 10), in which, among other data, the IP of your computer will also appear within your home network. For complete info visit our recommended site which is mentioned in the highlighted link.
