What is an IP Address? A Beginner's Guide
Published: October 20, 2025
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. Think of it as a mailing address for your computer.
There are two main types of IP addresses in use today: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers, often expressed in a "dotted-decimal" format (like 192.168.1.1), while IPv6 addresses are 128-bit numbers, providing a vastly larger address space for the growing number of devices online.