What are the types of IP addresses?

IP addresses are essential for the functioning of the Internet but are not understood by most people. This is because IP addresses are typically used behind the scenes. Your average user rarely needs to consider the letter and number setup. Nevertheless, internet systems, networks, and computers that everyone interacts with need to work correctly. 

What is an IP address?

IP means the internet protocol, which is a collection of rules for the type of data transmitted over the internet or the other network.

In other terms, it is quite basic for the connectivity between the Internet and the various devices. An IP address for every computer connected to a network is an important part of the process and works as an identifier. The Web needs a way to discriminate between various computers, routers, and websites. And it is done using an IP address.

If you see what an IP address appears like, it is a little clearer to see what you”re speaking about. This is a number string separated by dot “.”. On the PrePostSeo page, you can see how the IP address for your network looks like. All numbers in IP addresses are between 0 and 255.

Types of IP Addresses

The several types of IP addresses are listed below for you.

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1. Private IP Addresses

Every computer with an internet connection has a private IP address. Most specifically, that covers all of the laptops, smartphones, and tablets. But it also contains Bluetooth devices which you use, such as speakers or scanners. The number of private IP addresses that you will likely have in-home is increasing with increasing IoT industry products.

Your router needs the means to identify each item, and many items need the means to recognize each other. For example, you need your Bluetooth device to be recognized by your smartphone to connect them. Thus, for each device, the routers create private IP addresses that differentiate them all in the network by these special identifiers.

2. Public IP Addresses

The public IP address of your whole network is the only main domain. Where each device is connected to its IP address, they are all classified under your network”s main public IP address.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides your public IP address to your router. Internet service providers usually have a large group of IP addresses that they have distributed among various customers. This is the address used by all computers beyond your internet network to identify and understand your network. You will see the public IP address when you check your IP address using an IP checker.

3. Dynamic IP Addresses

Dynamic IP addresses most often change automatically. The dynamic IP address from the ISP is provided to most internet users.  ISPs buy a large group of IP addresses and allocate one to every customer automatically. They will then give them a fresh one regularly and transfer the older one to the group to be returned to another consumer.  

This might seem like a peculiar solution to IP addressing, but it is simpler for ISPs and easier to maintain. In the case of a normal and automatic transfer of IP addresses across different networks, nothing new must be done to reset the customer”s IP after shifting to another place. It is so much difficult for hackers to break into your network system while your IP address switches frequently. 

4. Static IP Addresses

It is a persistent IP address, which you can rely on for months and years to remain the same. It is important in some cases to use static IP addresses even though not many people or organizations use them. The most relevant is any organization that wants to use its servers. 

A static IP address means that any domains or email addresses on your domain are connected to specific IP addresses if you manage your server. If you want other devices to locate them on the network, this is necessary. 

5. Shared IP Addresses

This the most common type of IP address where people share their servers with other people. With the shared hosting, your site is normally one of the tens, if not hundreds of sites hosted on the same server, and it the most common and inexpensive alternative. 

This works well for many websites, especially for individuals and small-scale businesses that are not yet visited by many or have several pages on the website. It does not indicate that your website has a special IP address of its own. 

That does not generally cause complications, but it does happen in a few cases. If a person shares the IP of your website engages in illegal online practices, your site can end up in blacklists. Many users may not be able to access blacklisted websites, and emails from your domain may end up in spam folders. If you need to use a shared IP address, consider it very uncommon problem.

6. Dedicated IP Addresses

Most web hosting plans include a dedicated IP, and you can purchase one as an alternative to the plan in other situations. To prevent future backlists due to the poor actions of others on your site, the dedicated IP hosting has a few additional advantages.

Firstly, you can choose to use the IP address alone to access your website instead of your domain name. If you want to develop your website before purchasing a domain, dedicated IP address is suitable for you. This helps you to use your website when waiting to transfer to a domain name. These are specialized uses, but they can be useful under certain conditions.

It can also make it a bit easier to use an SSL certificate for your website. Sites with a shared IP still can invest in an SSL using the SNI, as long as it is supported by your Web-Hosting Service Provider. Nonetheless, getting a dedicated IP address will make it a little easier to use an SSL certificate.

Conclusion

You won”t need to worry much about IP addresses in your daily website development of browsing routine. Now you know about the different types of IP addresses, and if you want to check your or your friend’s IP address, you can use this free online service.