What is an IP address?
Each device that connects to the Internet needs a unique identifying number with which to communicate, called an IP address. IP stands for Internet Protocol.
There are two versions of IP that currently co-exist in the global Internet, IP version 4 (IPv4) and IP version 6 (IPv6). They will both be used for the foreseeable future, during the transition from IPv4 to IPv6. However, these two protocols cannot interact with each other directly. Systems that can use both protocols are called "dual stack", and provide facilities for exchanging data between IPv4 and IPv6.
Internet Protocol Addresses are made up of binary values and drive the routing of all data over the Internet. IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long, and IPv6 addresses 128 bits long. Since it is difficult for people to remember long sequences of numbers, the Domain Name System (DNS) was designed to provide a distributed directory of alphabetical names that correspond to these numbers.
Learn more about IP addressing
The differences between IP addresses and domain names:
| IP address | Domain name |
|---|---|
| Locator | Label |
| Identifies point on the Internet | Identifies the locator |
| Computer-friendly | People-friendly |
Internet addresses are a shared public resource. Effective management and fair access to these resources is vital to the ongoing health of the Internet.
APNIC does not offer Internet addresses for sale. It registers the right to use those resources according to policies set by the community members who use them.
Internet resources are allocated to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) such as APNIC, by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is responsible for the global coordination of the DNS root, IP addressing, and other Internet Protocol resources.
Learn more about IANA | IP address distribution | Address management hierarchy