IP Address
An IP address is a numerical address of the computer broken into 4 groups of 3 digit numbers lower than 254. In most cases, these addresses are unique for each internet connected computer throughout the world. Originally, addresses were obtained from Internet's Network Information Center (InterNIC) and later, in the Americas, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). Today, only large ISPs are eligible to obtain addresses from ARIN, everyone else must request and address from their ISP. There is an exception to the uniqueness of addresses: Specific groups of addresses are set aside for use on internal networks for machines not connected to the internet or trying to conserve address space. These addresses are either 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x, or 192.168.x.x. Use of these addresses is becoming more popular due to the shortage of addresses, which makes individual addresses expensive to obtain and keep, and the costs associated with changing all network addresses when changing ISPs, and the popularity of internet connection sharing in small business or home networks.
Maximizing Business Potential
