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Common Questions

Q1 What is an IP address in simple terms?
The IP (IP address) or Internet Protocol - is an identifier of your device on the Internet or a local network, which consists of a sequence of four values in the range from 0 to 255, separated by dots, for example (223.132.11.54). Any device with Internet access has an IP address: PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, smart TV, IP-camera, etc.
Currently there are two versions of the Internet protocol - IPv4 and IPv6:
179.16.235.2. - IPv4 example.
1090:0:0:0:5:600:800c:326m - IPv6 example.
The second appeared because the first one trivially ran out of addresses - in 2011 IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) has allocated the last "batch" of IPv4 addresses. In IPv6, the number of possible IPs is practically infinite: 300 million (!) for every inhabitant of the Earth.
An IP address serves as a reference point for the location of a device on the Internet and enables data exchange with other devices.
The structure of any connection looks like this:
User → user's local network → provider's local network → Internet network The role of the ISP is to send you the data from the wide area network, and you need an IP address for this. Everything happens automatically in a fraction of a second if your ISP's equipment is working as it should. If you have connection problems, the system prompts you to contact your ISP.
Q2 What are IP addresses?
Static and dynamic IP addresses
There are two big groups - static and dynamic addresses. The main criterion for distinguishing them is the constancy of the address assigned to a particular device. A static IP is assigned by the provider once and for all, while a dynamic one changes with every internet session. Now most ISPs assign dynamic "floating" addresses to their subscribers - it's not only economically more advantageous but also more effective in terms of network security. Assigning a static IP is a separate service, usually for a fee.
You can find out exactly which address you have (dynamic or static) from your provider or yourself by comparing the data in the "Network connection" tab. Dynamic addresses are not assigned chaotically by your ISP, but in an orderly fashion. There is a pool of allocated IPs for each locality. Host numbers may change, but the network data will remain the same. So you can determine the approximate geolocation of a subscriber by dynamic IP.
External and internal IP addresses
According to the level of coverage, there are two types of networks: local and global. The first operates within a small area - one or more buildings. Global networks have coverage at city and country level.
IP addresses that belong to global networks are public - they are visible to other devices in the network, so they are called external, or "white". Internal IPs, on the other hand, are only used within a local network. They are also called private, or "gray". They appeared for the banal reason - there just aren't enough unique external IPs for all devices. It's impossible to access the internet directly from a gray IP. The connection is provided by the ISP via so called Network Address Translation (NAT), whereby many "gray" addresses connect to the Internet via one "white" address. At the user level this is unnoticeable, speed and quality of connection does not suffer.
Knowing your IP, you can determine its type. "Gray" addresses are in the following ranges:
10.0.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255.255 (subnet mask 255.0.0.0 or /8).
172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 (subnet mask 255.240.0.0 or /12).
From 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 (subnet mask 255.255.0.0 or /16).
100.64.0.0.0 to 100.127.255.255 (subnet mask 255.192.0.0 or /10).
Q3 What information is encrypted in the IP address?
A device's numeric identifier is divided by dots into several numeric segments. In IPv4 they are called octets, in IPv6 they are called hextets. They encrypt information about the network number and node (host) number.
The subnet mask is used to determine which octets belong to the network and which belong to a specific device. It is a binary value that is "superimposed" on the IP address and defines its node and network part.
The network numbers are distributed over the populated areas. By IP-address you can find out the city where the device is located, but not its exact location - at least by the means of the average user, but not by the special services or hackers.
Q4 Why do you need to know your IP-address?
If it is dynamic knowing it will not do anything except satisfy your curiosity. But static IP is another key for your device, like login and password. If you know it, you can remotely connect to your computer, using it as a web or game server. Dynamic IP can be considered more secure, because the user goes online almost always with a new address.
Q5 How to find out your IP address
External IP
The IP assigned by an ISP is written in the contract. But you don't always have that document at hand. So you can use online services to determine the IP-address. For example Brookeinvest.com/what-is-my-ip
Intranet IP
There are two quick ways to find it out.
In the control panel
1. Go to the active networks tab:
"Start" - "Control Panel" - "Network and Internet" - "Network and Sharing Center" 2. Select the "Details..." option.
From the command line
1. Activate the "Command Prompt" menu item (Win + R).
2. In the window that appears, type the command cmd.
3. After the blinking cursor, type the command ipconfig.
4. The system will give you the data you need.
Q6 How to find out someone else's IP address
From the point of view of the law on data protection, there are two ways - white and gray. The first is relevant only if you have e-mail correspondence (one letter from the user whose IP you want to find out is enough).
1. Open the e-mail and find the "Service headers" option in the settings.
2. Use the search line to find the IP data.
The "gray" way to get someone else's IP involves sending a user a trap link, generated by a special service. If you follow the link you can pull the IP address out of the metadata. This method is gray and not black just because the legislators have not yet decided whether the IP can be considered as personal data. But we are of the opinion that if the user does not consider it necessary to report his IP, he wants to keep it secret. That's why we do not specify the names of "trap" services.
Q7 Four main points to keep in mind in this article
1. The IP address is a digital identifier that any device with Internet access has. It can be permanent (static) or floating (dynamic).
2. The IP can be used to determine the approximate location of the user.
3. The IP of your own device can be found out with the help of the operating system tools or through specialized online services.
4. You can find out the IP of another person if you have an email from him. Other methods will not be quite legal.