Types of IP Addresses: All You Need to Know

IP addresses allow Internet-connected devices to communicate with web servers. However, there are many types of IP addresses. Do you know the main difference between private and public IP addresses or static and dynamic IP addresses?What is a dedicated IP, do you need one? Read on to learn more about the different IP address types and their uses.

What is an IP address?

IP addressRepresents an Internet Protocol address. It's a string of numbers that identifies a device connected to a wider network. Like email addresses, Internet Protocol addresses are required so that devices and servers can exchange information with each other. For example, if you Google "What is a VPN?,' Your device's IP address will send the request to Google's servers. Google then uses your Internet Protocol address to find the answer and send it back to you.

The Internet Protocol address is hereinafter referred to as an IP address. An IP address always consists of four numbers separated by dots (layout as follows: xxxx). Each of these four numbers is between one and three digits and must be between 0 and 255. This also includes your own IP address.

Type of IP address

There are many different types of IP addresses, from private IP addresses to Ethernet broadcast IP addresses. They all have a similar function: make sure the packet reaches its intended destination address. A consumer may have one of two IP addresses:

• Private (for your internal network)
• public (for accessing the internet)

There are several other types of IP, which are discussed below.

What is a private IP address?

Each device on your home network has its own router-assigned primary IP address. Whether it's a laptop, a smart TV or a mobile phone. These IP addresses only operate within the local network, so theoretically you and your neighbors could use the same private IP address. As each IP address you have is on a different network, they don't have to be unique.

However, two devices on the same LAN (Local Area Network) cannot have the same private IP address.

What is a public IP address?

The public IP address is assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is the address your router uses to communicate with the wider network. This IP covers your entire network, so if you have multiple devices using the same internet connection, they will all share the same IP address. That's why it's called a public IP address.

Your public IP can be associated with your name - your ISP knows it belongs to you - so you can be tracked and your internet activity monitored. It doesn't take a lot of effort for snoopers, including ISPs, to learn more about you, a simpleIP lookupThat's it.

Private vs Public IP Addresses

Every device connected to the internet has private and public IP addresses. Why do you need two? Because there are not enough IP addresses for the number of devices we use. In the 80's, when the IPv4 protocol was created, it introduced 32-bit numeric IP addresses. This equates to approximately 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. However, it soon became apparent that more was actually needed.

By introducing private IP addresses andNetwork Address Translation (NAT)solved this problem. A network address translation system resides on your router and directs traffic from the network to all devices on the same internet network. The router also assigns unique private IP addresses to these devices. These cannot be routed over the internet, so many devices in the world can have the same private IP without conflict.

Two types of public IP addresses

Public IPs are also divided into two categories: static and dynamic.

Static and dynamic IP addresses

As the name suggests,Dynamic IP addresses change over time.Your ISP assigns them, but unlike other IP address types, they change every time you restart your device, add a new device to the network, or change the network configuration. These changes will rarely have any effect on your connection, and dynamic IP addresses are preferred by most households.

Unlike dynamic IP,Static IP addresses never change.They are usually assigned to servers that host websites or provide email or FTP services. However, they are also available to public organizations that require stable connections and consistent URLs. Some people use them for gaming or VOIP connections as these also require a very stable connection.

Static IP addresses are rarely used in personal households because they have some disadvantages:

• ISPs charge extra for assigning static IPs;
• They require additional security measures as they are more vulnerable to brute force attacks;
• It's easier for data mining companies to keep track of them.

Difference Between Dedicated IP and Shared IP Address

A dedicated IP address is a unique static IP address given to a website on a shared hosting server, not a shared IP address that can cover multiple sites at the same time. A web server hosting a website can be assigned many static IP addresses. The server can then assign a static IP to multiple websites, which will then have a shared IP address. However, if a web server provides a static and unique IP address for a single website, this will be referred to as a dedicated IP.

Some websites choose dedicated IP addresses because they have high traffic and require a stable connection. Their developers may also need to access the server by its IP instead of the URL (especially when the system is down), or a stable IP address to obtain a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. But dedicated IPs aren't just for websites -- individuals can get them too. they can beVPN providers like NordVPNassigned to you. Dedicated IP has many benefits:

• allow you to control your online reputation;
• Available for online banking. Banks can sometimes flag logins using shared IPs as suspicious activity;
• reduce the likelihood that the website will ask you to complete a "captcha" request;
• Allow users to connect to remote servers through a whitelist.

Will the IP address change?

The IP address can be changed according to different situations. If you connect to Wi-Fi on a tablet or smartphone, you have a public IP assigned by your ISP. However, if you turn off Wi-Fi and switch to a mobile network, you will have a different IP, which is now assigned by your carrier.

When connecting to the internet through a router, you will only have the same public IP address (dynamic) for a period of time as your ISP may change it from time to time. This is because you rent the address and you can give it to others.

A static IP is always the same IP you have. You can assign it to a single device on your local network, keeping other devices under a dynamic IP. However, since your Internet activity is identified by a public IP address, all devices on your network may belong to the same static IP. It's all a configuration issue.

What IP do I get when I use a VPN?

An IP address can say a lot about you—your location, IP ownership, and even the digital footprint your IP leaves. However, if you passVPN serverTo route traffic, you can change your IP address. But when you use a VPN, what type of IP do you assign? You can have a shared IP or a dedicated IP.

A common practice with VPN providers is to assign you a shared IP address. When it comes to privacy, this is the best option. It's shared by multiple users, so it's harder for websites to track you. Shared IPs are also great for P2P file sharing, and if you travel a lot, you can also access content that might be censored in the countries you visit.

Shared IPs, on the other hand, can have a "bad neighbor effect", which means that if someone using the same IP is blacklisted on a particular website, you won't be able to access it either. However, this is a rare situation. The biggest inconvenience you can face is more captcha requests than usual—when a website tries to prove you're not a bot.