What is the Full Form of IP in Computers?

In the massive world of computer networking, billions of laptops, smartphones, and servers are connected to the Internet. But how does a YouTube server know exactly which smartphone requested to watch a specific video? The massive magic behind this routing is called the 'IP'.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is the difference between an IP address and a MAC address?

Answer

A massive MAC address is permanently burned into the physical hardware chip of your phone by the factory; it never changes. An IP address is purely temporary software; it violently changes every time you connect to a new WiFi network.

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Key Facts

If you go to Google right now and type 'What is my IP', Google will instantly show you the massive public IP address that your internet provider (like Jio or Airtel) has assigned to your router.

Hackers often use heavy software called a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to heavily mask and hide their true IP address so the police cannot track their massive physical location.

1. The Full Form

In Computer Science, IP stands for Internet Protocol.

2. What is an IP Address?

An IP address is a massive, highly specific mathematical number assigned to every single device connected to a network.
Think of it exactly like your house's physical massive postal address. If a postman wants to deliver a heavy package to your house, he absolutely needs your street name and house number. Similarly, if a massive server wants to send data (like a picture) to your phone, it absolutely needs your phone's unique IP address.
Example of an IP Address: 192.168.1.5

3. IPv4 vs IPv6

There are two massive versions of IP running the internet today:

IPv4 (Version 4): This is the old, massive standard (e.g., 172.16.254.1). However, because there are over 8 billion people and billions of smart devices, the world literally ran out of these mathematical numbers a few years ago.
IPv6 (Version 6): To solve the shortage, scientists invented IPv6. It uses incredibly massive, long combinations of numbers and letters (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). This new system provides enough unique addresses for every single massive grain of sand on planet Earth.

Questions and Answers

What is the difference between an IP address and a MAC address?+

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