IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

A numeric identifier assigned to each device connected to the Internet or local TCP/IP network. An IP address is used to locate and address a device on a network, allowing devices to communicate. An IP address allows you to identify a specific device on a network, as well as route data to and from that device. There are two versions of IP addresses: IPv4, which is 32 bits long and is written as four numeric segments separated by dots (for example, 192.168.0.1), and IPv6, which is 128 bits long and is represented as hexadecimal values. IP addresses play a key role in the functioning of networks and the exchange of information on the Internet.