IP Address

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two main functions: it identifies the host or device on the network, and it provides the location of the host in the network.

IP addresses are usually written in the form "XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX", where each "X" is a number between 0 and 255. There are two main versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses consist of four numbers separated by periods, while IPv6 addresses are made up of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons.

IP addresses are used to route data packets from one device to another on a network. When a device sends a data packet over a network, it includes the destination IP address in the packet header. The packet is then forwarded from one device to another, based on the destination IP address, until it reaches its final destination.

IP addresses are essential for communication on the Internet, as they allow devices to locate and communicate with each other. Each device on the Internet must have a unique IP address in order to send and receive data.