When you visit a website, you enter the domain name in the browser.

But technically, the website’s address is the IP address, not the domain name.

For example, to search for anything on Google, you have to enter “Google” first.

And Google’s IP address is 216.58.217.206 but it’s harder to remember than “Google”.

IP addresses help:

  • The internet work
  • Find and interact with devices connected to the internet

So in this post, we will learn:

  • What an IP address is
  • Its purpose
  • How to find yours

Let’s dive right in.

What’s an IP address?

IP address stands for Internet Protocol Address and is a website’s numerical address on the internet.

It’s also a unique label for servers and digital devices, such as:

  • Computers
  • Printers
  • Modems
  • Routers
  • Other smart devices

This numerical identifier is used by devices to send and extract necessary data from other devices connected to the internet.

Used similarly by websites and web browsers:

  • A domain name is entered into a browser address bar
  • A request is sent to the Domain Name System (DNS)
  • The domain name is translated into an IP address
  • The request is sent to the server hosting the website

Then the server can extract and display the necessary files in the browser.

Note: These requests include your device’s and the website’s IP address.

And all this couldn’t happen without IP addresses.

IP Address Format

The main format of an IP address is IPv4:

  • Four numbers separated by full stops
  • Each number is from zero to 255

A recent format is IPv6:

  • Eight sets of four hexadecimal digits
  • Separated by colons
  • Hexadecimal digit values are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, f

And most modern computers have both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

The IPv6 format is more complicated because using the IPv4 format has roughly 4.3 billion unique IP addresses available.

Then they ran out so we had to use IPv6.

Which has so many unique IP addresses, will never run out again.

The purpose of an IP address?

IP addresses are packet-switching technology.

This means data is divided into smaller “packets.”

And these data packets include:

  • Requested data
  • Routing information

Note: This data is what includes the destination IP address.

The information is important because:

  • It tells the packets where to go
  • Multiple packets can go on different routes across a network
  • Multiple packets reach their destination efficiently

Then the device that receives these packets, puts them together and renders its data.

So, basically IP addresses make data transfer faster and efficient.

Finding my IP address

Find your device’s IP addresses depends on the device.

The fastest way is to simply Googling “What’s my IP address?” and your device’s IP address will show as the first result.

But there are other ways to check your IP address, with or without an internet connection:

Mac

  • Go to System Preferences
  • Click on Network
  • Select your current connection on the list on the left
  • And the panel on the right will show your IP address

Windows

Using a Wi-Fi connection:

  • Click Start
  • Settings
  • Network & internet
  • Wi-Fi
  • Then select the Wi-Fi network you’re using

Using an Ethernet connection:

  • Click Start
  • Settings
  • Network & internet
  • Ethernet
  • Then your IP address will show under Properties, next to IPv4 address

iPhone

  • Click Settings.
  • Then Wi-Fi
  • And click the blue information icon (i) next to the Wi-Fi network you’re using
  • Your network’s IP address will show next to the Wi-Fi Address

Finding my website’s IP address

Now we will go through finding your website’s IP address.

Note: Your website will have at least one IP address, but can have more than one.

It’s important to know your IP address so you can solve website related issues.

A few examples of website elements that your IP address can affect include:

  • SSL certification
  • Email deliverability

For example, your IP address can be the reason for a redirect loop error on your WordPress website.

It should be easy to find your website’s IP address on its:

  • Dashboard
  • Web hosting account

If you can’t find your IP address there then use other online tools with built-in applications on your computer.

For example, on a Mac computer:

  • Open Finder
  • Click Applications
  • Utilities
  • Terminal
  • Type in “ping”, leave a space then your website’s name
  • Click Enter and the IP address generate automatically

Additionally, you can type the domain name into the search bar of websites like:

Conclusion

IP addresses are home addresses for websites.

They are also home addresses for devices connected to the internet.

They help make data transfer faster and more efficient between browsers and devices.

So learn about IP addresses to:

  • Understand how the internet works
  • Troubleshoot issues so they don’t affect visitors user experience

Now it’s over to you.

Tell me how you found your devices or websites IP address?

And how has your IP address helped you solve website issues?

Let me know in the comment section below.