IP Number or IP Address

What is the meaning of an IP Number or IP Address?

The meaning of IP number or IP address:  An IP number or IP address is a unique number or address assigned to a computer or any other connected device on the Internet, so as to facilitate its identification and communication with other computers on that network that utilize the standard Internet Protocol. Any device that connects to other devices in a network is assigned an IP number or rather IP address. Such devices include Internet fax machines, time-servers, computers, phones, printers and routers.

An IP address or IP number can be likened to a person’s telephone number or physical street address that enables others to locate him/her. It functions just the same way your phone number helps individuals with phones to call you and communicate with you. In the same vein, your office or home address allows people looking for you to easily locate you, without asking others about your whereabouts. So, an IP address helps to identify and interact with a networked device in a network, such as the Internet.

In web hosting, IP addresses are assigned to websites by their hosts. Typically, all the websites hosted on one server in a shared web hosting environment share the same IP address, unless a client separately purchases a dedicated IP address.