by Tommy N. Updated Apr 12, 2026
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique number assigned to every device on a network, like a mailing address for the internet. It allows devices to find and communicate with each other.
IPv4 addresses look like 192.168.1.1 (four numbers separated by dots, max 255 each). There are about 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses. IPv6 addresses look like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334 and provide virtually unlimited addresses.
Your router has a public IP (assigned by your ISP, visible to the internet) and a private IP (like 192.168.1.1) used internally. Devices on your network have private IPs assigned by DHCP.
For more information, see Wikipedia — TCP/IP.
Pro Tip: Understanding the OSI model isn't just academic — it helps you troubleshoot by isolating which layer a problem occurs at.
Key Takeaways
An IP address is like a mailing address for devices on the internet. It tells other devices where to send data.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses (like 192.168.1.1) with ~4.3 billion possible addresses. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses with virtually unlimited addresses. IPv6 is the future but IPv4 is still dominant.
Your public IP is what websites see. Your private IP is your address on the local network. You can find both using our tools or by checking your router's admin panel.
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About Tommy N.
Tommy is the founder of RouterHax and a network engineer with 10+ years of experience in home and enterprise networking. He specializes in router configuration, WiFi optimization, and network security. When not writing guides, he's testing the latest mesh WiFi systems and helping readers troubleshoot their home networks.
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