An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. These addresses serve two main purposes: host or network interface identification and location addressing.

These are the two primary types of IP addresses

IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

This version is the most widely used and consists of a 32-bit numerical label, typically displayed in quad-dotted decimal format (e.g., 192.168.0.1). However, due to the growing number of connected devices, IPv4 addresses are becoming scarce.

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)

To address the limitation of IPv4, IPv6 was introduced. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address format, allowing for a vastly increased number of unique addresses. IPv6 addresses are typically expressed as a series of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334).

IP addresses play a crucial role in routing data across networks. They help identify and locate devices on a network, enabling the correct delivery of data packets from a source to a destination. IP addresses are fundamental for internet communication, as they facilitate the routing of information between different devices, servers, and websites.