IT basics
What is an IP address?
Every device on a network has an address, the way every house on a street does.
1 min readExplainer
The short version
An IP address is the number that lets devices find each other on a network. Your office has public and private ones.
The idea
When devices talk over a network, they need to know where to send data. An IP address is a number that identifies each device, such as 192.168.1.25. Data is sent to that number, like mail to a street address.
Public and private
- Private addresses are used inside your office. Your laptop, printer and phones each get one. They only mean something inside your network, and many offices around the world use the same ranges.
- The public address is what the rest of the internet sees. Usually the whole office shares one or a few. Your firewall translates between the two, so traffic gets back to the right device.
Who hands them out
Most devices get a private address automatically when they join the network, from a service called DHCP. Printers, servers and some equipment are given fixed ones, so others can always find them.
Static public addresses
Internet providers usually change your public address from time to time. A static IP stays the same. Businesses may need one for remote access, certain phone systems, or services that only accept connections from known addresses.
Where you might see one
A help desk technician may ask for your computer’s address while fixing a problem. It is not secret, but you do not need to remember it.
Talk to us about your technology
Tell us what you run today and what is getting in the way. We will get back to you about how we can help.