Lesson 2 of 6
IP Addresses Explained
Understand public and private IPs, IPv4, and IPv6.
Every device needs an address
An IP address is a unique number that identifies a device on a network — like a postal address for the internet. When you visit a website, data is sent to and from your public IP address.
IPv4 addresses look like 192.168.1.1. IPv6 addresses are longer and look like 2001:db8::1. Both identify devices, but IPv6 was created because the world ran out of IPv4 addresses.
Public vs private IP
Your public IP is visible to websites on the internet and is assigned by your ISP. Private IPs (such as 192.168.x.x) are used only inside your home or office network.
Your router uses NAT (Network Address Translation) so many private devices can share one public IP. You can check your public IP anytime on our homepage.
Key takeaways
- IP addresses identify devices on a network.
- Public IPs are visible on the internet; private IPs stay local.
- IPv6 expands the available address space.