Did you know, each network device has an IP address to be able to communicate with each other, unlike street addresses where IP addresses do not need to be fixed. A little in-depth understanding of IP can help you overcome network connection problems, how to connect and share data between multiple computers... So what is an IP address? What are IP addresses used for? and how to check the IP address on the computer? The information contained in this article will help readers answer everything.
What is an IP address?
If you are new to computers and have network connection problems, there will be times when you ask yourself, what is an IP address? In short, IP (Internet Protocol) address means the protocol address of the internet, it is similar to a home address or business address. Hardware devices in the network that want to connect and communicate with each other must have an IP address.
What are IP addresses used for?
The IP address will help devices on the internet distinguish and recognize each other, thereby being able to communicate with each other. It provides the identity of network-connected devices, similar to a physical home or business address that has a specific location.
If you have a handwritten letter to send to your lover abroad, you will need to know the exact address
only that person's. The letter you send will not reach your lover if you only fill in the recipient's name. Instead, you must definitely fill in the specific address and of course that address must be looked up and retrieved via phone number.
That is also the general procedure used when you send data over the internet. Of course, the way to do it will be very different and completely automatic. Instead of using a phone number, your computer uses a DNS server to look up the sender's name or destination (hostname) and find that IP address.
For example, if you want to search "how to check IP" on Google, your request will be transferred to the DNS server to search for websites containing results and corresponding IP addresses. Without IP your computer will not be able to know what you are looking for.
Types of IP addresses
Depending on the purpose of use, IP addresses are divided into: Public IP address - Public IP, Private IP - private IP address, static IP address - Static IP and Dynamic IP - dynamic IP address. They can be classified as IPv4 or IPv6, both Public IP and Private IP exist as dynamic IP or static IP.
What is Public IP?
Public IP is the public IP address assigned by the internet service provider. This is the address that a home or business network uses to communicate with other internet-connected devices, allowing devices on the network to access the web or communicate directly with other users' computers.
What is Private IP?
Private IP, also known as private IP, is used within LAN networks, like home networks or business networks. Unlike public IP, Private IP cannot connect to the internet, only devices on the network can communicate with each other through a router, also called a router. Private IP addresses are assigned automatically by the router, or you can set them up manually.
What is IP Static?
Static IP, also known as static IP, is a way to set IP for each device completely manually and does not change over time.
What is IP Dynamic?
Dynamic IP is a dynamic IP, which means that the computer's IP address can change, today it is A, tomorrow it is B. This happens completely automatically and is managed by a server called DHCP Server.
How to find IP address
There are many ways to view your computer's IP address as well as the Public IP, depending on how you do it and the operating system your computer uses.
Find public ip address
There are many ways to find Public IP addresses, but it is simplest when the computer or network device has an internet connection. By using some support websites to know what an IP address is, such as IP Chicken, WhatsMyIP.org, or WhatIsMyIPAddress.com.
Find Private IP address
In the Windows operating system, the simplest way to view a device's static IP address is to use the ipconfig command via Command Prompt. For Linux operating systems, enter the command hostname –I (capital I), ifconfig or ip addr show in the Terminal window. Similar to the macOS operating system, you use the ifconfig command to check the IP address.
IP version (IPv4 and IPv6)
You may not know, IPv6 is a new IP version created to upgrade and replace IPv4. Because more and more devices are connected to the internet, IPv6 was born to solve this problem. The birth of the new protocol IPv6 provides a much larger number of IP addresses than IPv4, moreover, IPv6 has many advantages and is easier to manage.
Check your computer's private IP
For computers using the Windows operating system, there are two ways to see what an IP address is.
*Method 1: View IP address using Command Prompt
You open the Command Prompt window by pressing the Windows + R key combination, then enter cmd and press Enter.
In Command Prompt, enter the command ipconfig and press Enter. The IP address result is shown in the IPv4 Address line.
*Method 2: View computer IP from the taskbar
With this method, open Control panel then select View network status and tasks.
Next, click on the internet connection name to see the connection status.
Continue to select Details in the status window.
In the connection details window that appears, you will see an IP address listed. Look for the field named IPv4 Address.
