Ever wonder what the IT boffins mean when they refer to the “IP Address?” Or maybe you have seen it yourself and gave a bit of thought to why it is so important. Well, here is an introduction to it.
What if the IPV4 Address Did Not Exist?
Elizabeth Liebenberg, Pexels – Telephone Not Using IP Address
Communication, entertainment, and trade would not be much more advanced than it was forty years ago (because that was when it was first used, per Britannica). With that said, we have come pretty far in four decades, and this is due to that long string of digits that we take for granted. For a start, our dear mobile phones, tablets, and computers would become nothing more than fancy high-tech junk. The internet and social media will be nonexistent, and no such thing as sharing photos, weather updates, and reels.
What Exactly is this IP Address?
Simply, it’s an Internet Protocol address and a unique numerical tag on every device capable of connecting to a computer network. Without it, there can be no communication. It consists of four numbers separated by periods, each in the range of 0 and 255. These numbers serve as virtual addresses and allow phones, tablets, Smart TVs, etc. connection via the internet, per Microsoft.
Who Assigns These Addresses?
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) based at the University of Southern California (per Techopedia) distributes these addresses to organizations and companies through the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), only five of which exist globally, per The Number Resource Organization. Being facilitated by a centralized organization ensures that these addresses are not duplicated.
In a Nutshell
Pixabay, Pexels – We would still be using technology from the 1980s if it were not for the IP address.
The IPv4 address system is the reason for the internet as we know it. It is the lifeblood of online communication and all of the virtual world. We would likely still be using technology from the 1980s if it were not for the IP address.
In the next segment, we will delve deeper into the technical aspects of IP address and how it works – and touch on how the advent of optic fiber changes this. Stay tuned!”
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