Whatever tasks you perform online, whether it is emails, video calls, shopping, payments, or simply browsing, it is your device’s IP address that makes it possible. IP addresses provide a way of identifying and locating devices on a network, making information exchange among them possible.
This blog post explores the basics of IP addresses, what they are, how they work, their types, and most importantly IP address security. Whether you are new to networking or just want to brush up on your knowledge, this post provides a crisp overview of IP addresses.
This blog post will answer the following questions about IP addresses;
1. What Is An IP Address?
An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a series of numbers that uniquely identifies a connection of a device with a network. Every device connected to the internet has an IP address. This makes it possible to see which devices on the network are sending, requesting, and receiving information, facilitating communication with each other over the same network as well as other networks such as the Internet.
IP addresses are expressed as a set of four numbers that are divided into two parts - the network ID and a host ID. Each set of numbers separated by a decimal in an IP address is called an octet. The first three sets of octets comprise the network ID indicating which network the device is on, while the fourth octet indicates the host ID, i.e. the specific device on that network.
So, if 192.168.1.3 is your local IP address, 192.168.1 is your network ID and 3 is your host ID. According to network best practices, the network router has host ID 1 and subsequent devices get assigned 2,3,4, and so on. IP addresses can range from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255, i.e. each set of numbers between the periods can range from 0 to 255 (on a 255.255.255.0 network, there will be 254 usable hosts as 255 is usually the broadcast address and not used as a host).
But the IP addresses are not randomly assigned. They are mathematically generated and allocated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a part of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is a nonprofit organization that is responsible for the Internet’s stable and secure operation. It manages the assignment of address blocks to regional Internet registries and maintains registries of Internet Protocol identifiers. When anyone registers a domain on the Internet, they have to pay a domain registration fee and part of this goes to ICANN.
In many ways, an IP address is similar to a phone number. On one hand, a phone number identifies who you are calling and on the other hand, for the person receiving the call, it identifies who is calling. In the same way, IP addresses help identify devices connected to a network.
2. How Do IP Addresses Work?
An IP address can be considered as a virtual address that helps identify a computer, a network device such as a router, a network server, a website, and even IoT devices such as cameras. Using IP addresses, network traffic can be directed to exactly where it needs to go.
To understand how IP addresses work, we first need to talk about the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). TCP/IP is a suite of protocols i.e. a set of rules and procedures for connecting devices across the internet and is the basis for all internet communication.
TCP deals with how applications create communication channels, transmit, and receive messages. And IP deals with addressing and routing messages. TCP/IP specifies how before transmission, data is broken into packets and passed along a chain of network devices starting from the origin device to the destination or final recipient. And how upon receiving, the data is decapsulated.
Each packet of data that is transmitted contains an IP header, which contains the source and destination IP addresses. When the data is received by a network device, it decapsulates the data, checking the IP information of the packet. The device processes the received data further only if the IP address matches the destination information in the packet.
So for example, when your laptop connects to the world wide web, it first connects to a local network that is connected to the Internet, which gives you access to the world wide web. The Internet access will probably be provided by an internet service provider (ISP), so it will be the responsibility of the ISP to assign your device an IP address. All of your internet activities and the information you send and receive are routed to your device using the IP address.
An important thing to remember is that the IP address does not identify your device but only its connection to the network. The physical device is identified by another number called the MAC (Media Access Control) address. That is why when you take your laptop or another device from your home to a coffee shop or to your office, it will get a different IP address assigned by the ISP of the coffee shop or the office.
3. How To Find Your IP Address?
You can easily find the IP address of your device using the following steps:
IP Address On A Windows Device
To find your IP address on your Windows device, do the following:
On your Taskbar click on the Search button and type “Settings”
Click on “Network & Internet” on the left-hand side of the Settings pop-up window
Click on either WiFi or Ethernet, depending on what you are using
Then Click on the name of the Network in the center column
Now if you scroll down, you will see the IPv6 and IPv4 addresses
IP Address On A Mac
To find your IP address on your mac, do the following:
Pull down the Apple Menu
Click System Preferences
In the View menu, select Network
In the left column, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on which you are using
If you are using Ethernet, your IP address will appear in the middle of the page
If you’re using Wi-Fi, select Advanced
Click on TCP/IP
You will see your address listed under IPv4
IP Address On An Android Device
To find your IP address on your Android device, do the following:
Go to your Settings menu
Scroll down and tap on About/About phone
Then tap on Status/Status information
You will see your IP address listed
IP Address On An iPhone
To find your IP address on your iPhone, do the following:
On your home screen, tap your Settings app.
Then tap on WiFi
Select the network you are connected to
Now, scroll down to see the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
4. What Are The Different Types Of IP Addresses?
IP addresses come in a variety of categories and within each, there are different types. The following are the different types of IP addresses:
IP Address Types Based On Version
IPv4
IPv4 is the fourth version of the internet protocol (IP). IPv4 addresses contain a series of four sets of numbers separated by periods and ranging from 0 to 255. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit (four groups of 8 bits) integers, which means it can accommodate nearly 4.3 billion different IP addresses.
IPv6
IPv6 addresses, on the other hand, contain eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, with each group separated by a colon. An example of an IPv6 address might look like this- 2001:0002:14:5:1:2:bf35:2610.
The IPv6 addressing system moves from 32 bits to 128 bits and uses both letters and numbers in identifiers. This move enables IPv6 to easily accommodate the ever-increasing number of devices joining the Internet each passing day. IPv6 can uniquely identify about 340 undecillion, i.e. 340 billion billion billion IP addresses.
IP Address Types Based On Network Use
Public IP Address
Every device connected to the Internet has a unique public IP address, which is assigned by its ISP. It is used to identify and locate it on the network and it is this public IP address that devices use to communicate with other devices over the Internet.
Public IP addresses can be accessed directly over the internet and can be routed over the Internet independently. So it enables you to set up your own server, access your computer remotely, and monitor your network devices from anywhere as long as you are connected to the internet.
Private IP Address
A private IP address is a number assigned to a device within a private network and is used to identify a device within the network. Private IP addresses allow the device to communicate with other devices on the same network and access network resources such as shared drives and printers.
Typically a router with a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server assigns the private IP addresses to devices connected to the network. Private IP addresses cannot be directly accessed from the Internet because they are not visible to devices outside of the private network.
IP Address Types Based On How They Are Assigned
Static IP
Static IP addresses are those IP addresses that do not change once they are assigned. They remain the same until the device is decommissioned or the network architecture changes. Generally, static IP addresses are used by critical network equipment such as servers.
For organizations, static IP addresses are important because they facilitate smooth operations of important high-traffic infrastructure components such as network equipment, database servers, web servers, virtual private networks (VPNs) servers, etc. If the IP addresses of such devices change, the router settings would also have to change so that requests are forwarded to the right IP address.
So, static IP addresses make it easy for end-users to reach network resources such as websites, databases, etc.
Dynamic Ip
Dynamic IP addresses are those IP addresses that change automatically. They are assigned to a network node while it is connected to the network and may be assigned a different address each time it reconnects. The assignment of dynamic IP addresses is managed by a DHCP server.
One of the main reasons for using dynamic IP addresses is it allows a single IP address to be used among many different nodes, circumventing the shortage of IP addresses on IPv4.
5. Is IP Address Security Necessary?
Your IP address identifies you when you are connected to the Internet and enables you to send and receive data. IP addresses can be used to track your online activities and even discover your approximate location. Because an IP address is so important, it is a very valuable piece of information.
But what can someone do if they have your IP address? Should you be worried?
6. What Can Someone Do With Your IP Address?
Depending on who has your IP address, you can expect a range of cyberattacks ranging from mild inconvenience to serious physical danger. The following are some examples:
1. Gather Information For Social Engineering
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for information that can make their attacks more effective. If a cybercriminal knows your IP address, they can track down your ISP, your browsing, and your online activities. With the gathered information, they can use social engineering techniques to steal your personally identifiable information (PII) or financial information.
2. Send Targeted Phishing
The information gathered using your IP address can also be used to send you targeted phishing emails and smishing messages.
3. Execute A DoS/DDoS Attack
Your IP address can also be used by an advanced persistent threat (APT) to execute a DoS (denial of service) attack against your organization’s network and prevent employees from accessing network resources such as servers, databases, online accounts, and even email. The ultimate goal of such attacks is to disrupt operations until a ransom is paid to the attacker.
4. Impersonate You Online
Skilled hackers can spoof your IP address and impersonate you online. They can route their online activities through your IP address instead of their own. Impersonated IP addresses are often used for conducting unlawful online activities such as buying drugs, buying or selling stolen personal information, and launching cyberattacks.
5. Sell Your Information
Some cybercriminals simply sell your IP address and associated information on the dark web. This can open you up to spam, social engineering, and targeted attacks from multiple attackers.
7. Is It Easy To Get Someone’s IP Address?
Your ISP and most online services you use have access to your IP address and track your online activities to some extent. Since an IP address is not considered PII, it is not protected as much as it should be. So it is possible to get someone’s IP address from a number of sources, including, torrenting files, adware, and phishing attacks.
8. How To Protect Your IP Address?
You can protect your IP address using the following steps:
1. Use Strong Firewall Rules
A firewall acts as a filter between your internal network and the Internet. It monitors incoming and outgoing traffic based on security rules set by you and protects your network from unauthorized access.
2. Use A VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) routes your Internet activities through one or more servers and assigns you an IP address that cannot be traced back to you.
3. Use A Proxy Server
Proxy servers also hide your IP address while you are online, but they do it in a different way. When you connect to the Internet using a proxy server, the servers, search engines, and other online service providers see the IP address of the proxy server instead of that of your device. So the IP address of your device remains hidden.
Conclusion
IP addresses are an essential building block of networking and the Internet, making communication among network nodes possible. An understanding of what IP addresses are, how they work, their types, and how to protect them will help you manage and secure your network better.
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About The Author
Hari SubediMarketing Manager at Jones IT
Hari is an online marketing professional with a focus on content marketing. He writes on topics related to IT, Security, Small Business, and Mindfulness. He is also the founder and managing director of Girivar Kft., a business services company located in Budapest, Hungary.