An IP Address is a specific numeric address assigned to a computer or any other device that uses IP (full form: Internet Protocol) for communication over a network. IP Address is the specific name assigned to the computer that uniquely identifies it and the route it takes to send and receive information interchangeably to and from the Internet, respectively.

If you are an user of Windows 10, you can know what your IP Address is, simply by using the Command Prompt. You can open Command Prompt by typing “cmd” at the Start menu and then typing “ipconfig” in the Command Prompt. You will get the entire IP configuration as a result of entering this command, displayed on the Command Prompt screen itself, including the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

IP addresses are using a pattern of 32-bit numbers, all of which are of course, unique for different devices. Within the namespace of all the IP addresses of different websites pertaining to different organizations within the globe, each IP address must be assigned an unique value in order to avoid confusion and unwanted interlinking between the two websites.

How can public and private IP addresses be distinguished? Public ip addresses are those which are registered on the Network Information Centre (NIC) in order to avoid conflict on the global level. Private IP addresses are more generic, on the other hand. They are great within a certain level of usage, because they do not require separate registration on a global platform and only require unique identification and distinction within a certain organization, where there are only a certain group of people working together, sometimes in cohesion, sometimes not. A great example of a device having a private IP address is a network printer, the usage of this printer is limited only within the organization. Among private IP addresses, D-Link and NETGEAR, Linksys, Cisco are few popular examples that are commonly used these days by many.

What are the differences between the local and external (global) IP address? The answer is simply the scope in which they are used. The external IP address is strictly for public usage- it is the one provided to you by your Internet Service Provider(short form is popularly known as ISP). On the other hand, here is the default local IP address which is assigned to the device during the manufacturing process and is mainly usedful for documentation purposes.