IP Location Lookup: Check Public IP Location Free

What is an IP(Internet Protocol) address?

An IP address is like a digital fingerprint for your Internet-connected devices. It is a unique set of numbers that helps devices communicate over the Internet. So, when you search “what is my IP address”, you are basically asking for this particular code.

Think of IP as short for “Internet Protocol,” which is a fancy term for the rules that govern Internet connections. And the address part? Well, it’s like your device’s mailing address on the web.

Every device, be it a computer, phone or tablet, gets its own IP address. This address is made up of four groups of digits, separated by periods. Each group can be any number from 0 to 255.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the one that gives you this address when you connect to the Internet. This way the online world knows who you are and where you are connecting from. So, your IP address is like your device’s online ID card!

IP address Versions

On the Internet, there are two types of IP addresses:

➨IPv4:

This is the older version and the one we are most accustomed to seeing. IPv4 addresses are made up of 32 bits and come in five ranges, labeled A to E. When IPv4 was first introduced, there were 4 billion addresses available, which seemed a lot at the time. But because the Internet has grown so rapidly that by 2014 we are almost finished.

➨IPv6:

This is the new version of IP addresses. IPv6 addresses look different because they use the hexadecimal system and are separated by colons. They are long, with 128 bits, and they are designed to eventually replace IPv4.

Types of IP address

There are two main types of IP addresses:

➨Public IP Address:

This is like your home address on the Internet. It is unique to your device and allows direct access to the Internet. Websites and servers that anyone can access online have public IP addresses. However, they are not free. You can find your address by searching “what is my IP” on Google.

➨Private IP Address:

Think of this as your home address within your local network. It is used for devices such as your computer or phone to communicate with each other inside your home network, without being online. Unlike public addresses, they are not visible outside your network. To find your private IP address, simply use the “ipconfig” command in your computer’s command prompt.

Who is managing the protocols?

It involves a team effort of different groups and not just one person to ensure that the Internet works smoothly. Here are some of the main ones:

➨ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers):

This non-profit organization consists of a group of people from different countries who make decisions about Internet addresses and names.

➨IAB (Internet Activities Board):

They are in charge of keeping an eye on how things are going with the Internet and fixing any problems that arise.

➨IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force):

This large group has a lot of teams, over 70 in fact, and they work on keeping the Internet running well.

➨ISOC (Internet Society):

They’re all curious to see where the Internet is going. They have members from companies, governments and regular people. Many of the other groups I mentioned are also part of ISOC.

Of all these groups, ISOC and ICANN are the most important for the management of the Internet.

If you are interested in learning how the Internet started and who was involved, you may like to read “The Innovators” by Walter Isaacson. It’s not too technical and tells the story in a fun way.

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FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions