+ What is an IP Address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a logical address assigned to a device to uniquely identify it on a network.
+ Why do we need IP Addresses?
- Unique device identification
- Communication between different networks
- Routing and packet delivery
- Internet connectivity
+ What is IPv4?
IPv4 is a 32-bit address written in dotted decimal format (example: 192.168.1.1). It is the most widely used IP version.
+ Public IP vs Private IP
- Public IP: Used on the Internet
- Private IP: Used inside LANs (RFC 1918)
- Private ranges: 10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x, 192.168.x.x
+ Static IP vs Dynamic IP
- Static IP: Manually assigned, never changes
- Dynamic IP: Assigned automatically by DHCP
+ What is APIPA?
APIPA (169.254.x.x) is automatically assigned when a device fails to get an IP from a DHCP server.
+ Network IP & Broadcast IP
- Network IP: Identifies the network
- Broadcast IP: Used to reach all hosts
- These cannot be assigned to hosts