An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a uniquely-identifying string of numbers assigned to each Internet-connected device or any device connected to a network. The address identifies and allows these devices to communicate with each other, either on an internal or external computer network.
Any device that transmits or receives network traffic gets an IP. 192.168.10.1 is an IP address example; any device with that IP can communicate with other devices across the same network. All governing devices, whether DHCP server, router, or Internet service provider, all use some sort of IP address management (IPAM) to prevent the assignment of the same Internet Protocol address to multiple devices. When there exists two devices with the same IP on the same network, an IP conflict prevents data from correct transmission and reception on these devices.
Your Internet activity then goes through your Internet service provider and routes back to you via the IP address assigned to you. Your address isn't permanent, though; it can change based onyour connection and the network you choose to connect to. It works, theoretically, as a digital version of your home address. It’s like how you need a home address to receive mail, and the sender must have your correct home number and zip code; you need an Internet Protocol addressto connect to the Internet, and any device trying to connect to yours needs the proper IP for asuccessful connection.
An IP can indicate which Internet service provider you use and your Internet speed. It also reveals information about your general location. It could indicate your country, state, city, orpostal region. However, you can’t find someone’s exact location from their IP. The information is intended for other devices and networks to identify your device, not for others to track you down.
A private IP address is an IP assigned to devices on private networks. These types of IPs, also referred to as local IP addresses or internal IP addresses, are used on local area networks (LANs) like your home network. They usually begin with 10, 172, or 192, which are in classes A, B, and C, respectively. These blocks are reserved for private IP addresses only by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
There are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. Originally, private IP addresses were created to help delay the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, as there is a limited number of IPv4 addresses. But even with the theoretical 4,294,967,296 addresses created by the 32-bit system, IPv4 address space began to run low with the amount of new Internet-connected devices that came into businesses and homes.
Thus, private IP addresses allow private networks to use the same IP addresses internally without causing conflicts for public IP addresses. Though IPv6 addresses ended up being the solution to IPv4 exhaustion, the private IP address system still exists for internal networks.