Believe me, all of this happens much faster than it sounds. From now on, any time another device on the internet sees a request from that address, they’ll reply to that address with the requested information. Let’s say the address assigned to his computer is 111.112.113.114. #3B, Metropolis.” If he wants to send and receive information from the internet, his connected device will need an address, too. Clark Kent expects to receive snail mail at his physical address, he has to let everyone know that his address is “344 Clinton St., Apt. There is also another format for IP addresses, known as the IPv6 format, that allows an even greater number of connected devices to be identified, but that is an article for another day.) This all works much like the address of your home or where you work.Īn IP address is assigned in the following format: x.x.x.x, where the value of x can be any number from 0 to 255. What’s an IP address?Īs you are likely already aware, the internet is a vast, global network of computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and even refrigerators (which will text you when you need milk).Įach one of these devices is assigned an IP address when it connects to the internet.Īn IP address is a unique 32-bit number that is assigned to a connected device, which allows other devices on the internet to identify it.

We’ll also explain what an IP address is, what it does, and why you should care about the whole process. There are multiple ways to hide your true IP address while on the internet, and in this article, we’ll go over each one and discuss the pros and cons of each method. That’s why it’s a good idea to hide your IP address. Third parties can even use it to detect your physical location. Unfortunately, the very same IP address that allows communications on the web also allows third parties to track, monitor, record, and block your online activities. It works great, and it’s the base technology that powers the routing of information on the internet.

This allows other devices on the internet to know which computer sent a request for information, so they know who to respond to. When a device connects to the internet, it receives an IP address. That address is how this website knew where to send the web page you’re viewing right now. No matter what electronic device you’re reading this article on, it has been assigned an IP address.

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