Types of IP Addresses

Types of IP addresses
There are different categories of IP addresses, and within each category, different
types.
Consumer IP addresses
Every individual or business with an internet service plan will have two types of IP
addresses: their private IP addresses and their public IP address. The terms public and
private relate to the network location — that is, a private IP address is used inside a
network, while a public one is used outside a network.
Private IP addresses
Every device that connects to your internet network has a private IP address. This
includes computers, smartphones, and tablets but also any Bluetooth-enabled devices
like speakers, printers, or smart TVs. With the growing internet of things, the number of
private IP addresses you have at home is probably growing. Your router needs a way to
identify these items separately, and many items need a way to recognize each other.
Therefore, your router generates private IP addresses that are unique identifiers for
each device that differentiate them on the network.
Public IP addresses
A public IP address is the primary address associated with your whole network. While
each connected device has its own IP address, they are also included within the main
IP address for your network. As described above, your public IP address is provided to
your router by your ISP. Typically, ISPs have a large pool of IP addresses that they
distribute to their customers. Your public IP address is the address that all the devices
outside your internet network will use to recognize your network.
Public IP addresses
Public IP addresses come in two forms – dynamic and static.
Dynamic IP addresses
Dynamic IP addresses change automatically and regularly. ISPs buy a large pool of IP
addresses and assign them automatically to their customers. Periodically, they re-
assign them and put the older IP addresses back into the pool to be used for other
customers. The rationale for this approach is to generate cost savings for the ISP.
Automating the regular movement of IP addresses means they don’t have to carry out
specific actions to re-establish a customer's IP address if they move home, for example.
There are security benefits, too, because a changing IP address makes it harder for
criminals to hack into your network interface.
Static IP addresses
In contrast to dynamic IP addresses, static addresses remain consistent. Once the
network assigns an IP address, it remains the same. Most individuals and businesses
do not need a static IP address, but for businesses that plan to host their own server, it
is crucial to have one. This is because a static IP address ensures that websites and
email addresses tied to it will have a consistent IP address — vital if you want other
devices to be able to find them consistently on the web.
This leads to the next point – which is the two types of website IP addresses.
There are two types of website IP addresses

For website owners who don’t host their own server, and instead rely on a web hosting
package – which is the case for most websites – there are two types of website IP
addresses. These are shared and dedicated.
Shared IP addresses
Websites that rely on shared hosting plans from web hosting providers will typically be
one of many websites hosted on the same server. This tends to be the case for
individual websites or SME websites, where traffic volumes are manageable, and the
sites themselves are limited in terms of the number of pages, etc. Websites hosted in
this way will have shared IP addresses.
Dedicated IP addresses
Some web hosting plans have the option to purchase a dedicated IP address (or
addresses). This can make obtaining an SSL certificate easier and allows you to run
your own File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. This makes it easier to share and transfer
files with multiple people within an organization and allow anonymous FTP sharing
options. A dedicated IP address also allows you to access your website using the IP
address alone rather than the domain name — useful if you want to build and test it
before registering your domain.
How to look up IP addresses

The simplest way to check your router’s public IP address is to search “What is my IP
address?” on Google. Google will show you the answer at the top of the page.
Other websites will show you the same information: they can see your public IP address
because, by visiting the site, your router has made a request and therefore revealed the
information. The site IPLocation goes further by showing the name of your ISP and your
city.
Generally, you will only receive an approximation of location using this technique —
where the provider is, but not the actual device location. If you are doing this, remember
to log out of your VPN too. Obtaining the actual physical location address for the public
IP address usually requires a search warrant to be submitted to the ISP.
Finding your private IP address varies by platform:
In Windows:
 Use the command prompt.
 Search for “cmd” (without the quotes) using Windows search
 In the resulting pop-up box, type “ipconfig” (no quote marks) to find the
information.
On a Mac:
 Go to System Preferences
 Select network – and the information should be visible.
On an iPhone:
 Go to Settings
 Select Wi-Fi and click the “i" in a circle () next to the network you are on – the IP
address should be visible under the DHCP tab.

Types of IP Addresses

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Types of IP Addresses

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Types of IP addresses

There are two types of website IP addresses

How to look up IP addresses

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