IPv4, which stands for Internet Protocol version 4, is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP) that was originally designed in the early 1980s and has been widely used since the early days of the internet.
IPv4 is the underlying technology that allows devices to communicate with each other over the internet and other IP-based networks.
IPv4 Addressing
192.168.0.1
IPv4 addresses are 32 bits in length, which allows for a total of approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. Each IPv4 address is typically represented as four decimal numbers separated by periods.
In order to address the issue of IP address exhaustion (where there are more internet connected devices than available addresses) networks need to use a combination of public, private IP addresses and IP address pools in order for the internet to continue to function. This was the mean driver for the development of IPv6.
IP v4 addresses are made up of bits.
The maximum number of IPv4 addresses that can be assigned is 4.3 .
Hierarchical Structure
IPv4 addresses are structured hierarchically, with different portions of the address used to identify the network and the individual device within that network. This hierarchical addressing scheme is the basis for routing data across the internet.
An IPv4 address is divided into and host portions.
Public IP Addresses
Public IP addresses are unique identifiers that are used for communication between devices on the internet and are crucial for identifying and routing data to specific devices or servers worldwide.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) allocate public IP addresses to their customers, allowing them to access websites, online services, and resources on the internet.
Public IP addresses can be either static (unchanging) or dynamic (changing periodically) depending on the type of internet connection.
An organization can obtain a block of IP addresses from an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Private IP Addresses
Private IP addresses are used to identify devices within local or private networks, such as home networks, business intranets, or corporate LANs. Unlike public IP addresses, private IP addresses are not globally routable and cannot be used to directly access devices on the internet.
Private IP addresses provide a level of security by keeping internal network devices hidden from direct exposure to the internet, which can help protect against external threats and unauthorized access.
In order for data to be routed across the internet from a private IP address, the address must be replaced with a public IP address, using Network Address Translation (NAT).
The use of IP addresses helps conserve IPv4 address space.
When a device communicates with the internet, its private IP address is translated to a IP address through a process called Network Address Translation (NAT).
