Internet Protocol (IP)

What is Internet Protocol (IP)?

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a set of rules for sending and receiving data over the Internet. Computers gather data into collections of electrons called packets, with IP identifiers attached to each one. Network routers ensure that packets are routed to the right place. All Internet connected devices, from laptops to smartphones, servers to printers, have a unique IP address that packets can be sent to. Once packets arrive at a destination, how they are handled depends on the transport protocol, which is usually either Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. What is Internet Protocol (IP)?
2. Key Takeaways
3. How Does Internet Protocol Work?
4. Types of Internet Protocols
5. How IP Manages Data
6. IP Packets
7. What is an IP Address?
8. Securing IP addresses
9. Other IP Network Protocols
10. The Bottom Line
11. FAQs
12. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. What is Internet Protocol (IP)?
2. Key Takeaways
3. How Does Internet Protocol Work?
Show Full Guide
4. Types of Internet Protocols
5. How IP Manages Data
6. IP Packets
7. What is an IP Address?
8. Securing IP addresses
9. Other IP Network Protocols
10. The Bottom Line
11. FAQs
12. References

How Does Internet Protocol Work?

The best way to explain Internet protocol is to imagine it as part of the Internet’s postal system. IP assigns a unique address for every Internet connected device, with digital postcodes and street numbers that ensure information is sent accurately to the correct destination.

When a computer sends or receives data (e.g., sharing an image, sending an email, or loading a web page), it gathers the data into collections called packets. Each packet has an envelope (the header) that shows the sender’s and the receiver’s IP address.

Packets are then sent to a public Internet router that reads the envelope. If it recognizes the receiver as an Internet neighbor with the same domain, it forwards the packet to the computer with the corresponding IP address. If not, it forwards the packet onto the next Internet router, bouncing from one to the next until it reaches a router that recognizes it.

Types of Internet Protocols

Internet protocol examples include Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

IPv4 is the original public version of IP introduced in 1983. The rapid uptake of Internet users that began in the mid-90s meant that the supply of available IPv4 addresses became depleted.

A new version of IP, IPv6, was launched in 2011 to address the shortage. IPv6 uses more characters meaning more addresses can be created from a greater number of character combinations. This will be a vital consideration as more smartphones, tablets, and other kinds of mobile devices are deployed around the world.

How IP Manages Data

Depending on the type of information they hold, the data packets in an Internet communication are often split up and sent via separate routes. That means they can turn up at the destination IP address in a different order than when they began the journey. Each packet is treated by IP as an independent unit without connection to any other unit.

IP’s job is simple: make sure packets are delivered accurately. When they arrive, it’s the transport protocol’s job to piece them back together, recognizing the packet sequence contained in the message.

There are two main types of transport protocol:

IP Packets

IP packets are created by dividing up a file’s data into smaller packages. Information is then added to a designated part of the packet called a header, which holds bits of code written in ones and zeros.

The header contains important information the Internet protocol needs to do its job, including the sender and receiver IP address. IP headers also hold the header length, packet size, and time to live (TTL), which is the number of network jumps a packet can make between routers before it is discarded. The header also tells the IP which transport protocol will be used to reassemble files at the destination, typically TCP or UDP.

What is an IP Address?

These elements define an Internet protocol (IP) address. A series of characters, such as ‘192.164.2.2’ is assigned to a specific device or domain that connects to the Internet.

Data packets sent between machines contain the IP addresses of both the sending and receiving device, similar to the destination and return addresses written on anything delivered by the post office or courier.

Internet network devices called DNS resolvers take human-readable domain names (for example, www.telefonia-virtual.com) and convert them into machine-readable numeric IP addresses.

Internet routers look for the IP address that corresponds to a data packet and deliver the packet accordingly.

Securing IP addresses

Securing IP addresses is an important part of Internet security. If a cybercriminal obtains your laptop or smartphone IP address, they could potentially use it to distribute or download illegal content, trace your home address, spy on your Internet usage, or target you for a malware attack.

There are numerous ways to protect your IP address, from hiding it so an outsider can’t see it to using a secure VPN.

Other IP Network Protocols

In addition to the two main transport protocols, IP also works in conjunction with the following:

The Bottom Line

IP is the backbone of the Internet. By definition it supplies the rules and settings that allow machines to instantly send and receive information online.

At its core, IP defines how data is transmitted across the Internet and provides a method for delivering that data as quickly as possible.

Whether you are posting to social media, sharing a video on WhatsApp, or simply sending an email, your device is using Internet protocol to make it happen.

FAQs