What is an IP Address
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique set of numbers assigned to each device with <TCP/IP> capabilities, most commonly computers that are hooked up to the Internet. All Internet communication, from website access to emails, are based on IP addresses.
For example, the IP address of Google is this:
If you type it in your web browser, you'll reach the same site as if you typed google.com
Notice the structure of the IP address: four groups of digits, separated by dots. This is the uniform structure of all current IP addresses. Each digit group ranges from 000 to 256 . This allows for roughly 4 billion different addresses (2574).
Even so, IP addresses are quickly running out. Today a new type of IP address (IPv6, where v6 stands for version 6) is being gradually implemented throughout the Internet. IPv6 numbers include the current system and expand on it.
The bodies responsible for allocating IP addresses to organizations and businesses are ARIN (in the US and Canada), RIPE NCC (in Europe and the Middle East), LACNIC (in Latin America), and APNIC (in the Asia-Pacific region).
IP addresses and hosting
Even before a <domain name>, every site needs an IP address in order to interact with the Internet. When you buy a hosting plan, you will be assigned an IP address by your provider. This IP address can be unique to your website (<dedicated IP>), or, by means of a smart virtual system, shared by several websites (<shared IP>).