The IP Detective
What is a Private IP Address?
An Internet Protocol, or IP, address is a number assigned to a computer or network accessing the Internet. The number is most often used to identify a host or network and also for location addressing. In other words, the number tells what user it is, where they are and how to get there.
A private IP address is an address in a specific range used by a business or residential computer to improve security or conserve space among the public addressing ranges. The private IP ranges were originally created to help prevent a shortage of IP addresses available to service providers and subscribers. Only a certain number of IP addresses are available and with the wide spread of the Internet, those numbers were quickly being used, with more constantly needed.
Computers using a private IP address do not connect directly to the internet; instead they connect to a router, which supports Network Address Translation, or NAT. NAT is a mapping system for the IP addresses on a home network, connecting them to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP is assigned a public IP address, then uses private IP addresses to identify which of their users is connected to the internet via that address so that any information requested by that specific user is sent to the correct place.
By using the router and NAT, additional security is provided by the extra layer of process between the computer and the Internet.
Private IP addresses are in the following ranges:
The second range is set aside as Automatic Private IP addressing and is not used for the Internet. Instead, it is used within a local network to connect to other computers. The pool is 16 million addresses for Class A.
Combined Class B is ideal for medium-sized networks that only require access to 6,500 private IP addresses.
Combined Class C is used by smaller networks or networks managed in smaller blocks. Such networks only require access to the 254 addresses available in Class C.
Other benefits of this system include the access to several IP addresses through one system rather than having a specific address the user consistently connects to.
Also, no registration is required for the use of a private IP address. Only the connection to the host network, which provides an IP address to the user at their time of connection. This IP address can and usually does change repeatedly for the user on a network.
Optimal performance is also expected with the use of a private IP address.
The creation and use of private IP addresses allows the Internet to be accessed by a broader range of people and service providers and therefore continues to assist in the original purpose of the Internet: allowing anyone who desires it access to a wealth of information not otherwise accessible or at least not easily accessible. The status of dynamic, or constantly changing private IP addresses, also assists in this result.
A private IP address is an address in a specific range used by a business or residential computer to improve security or conserve space among the public addressing ranges. The private IP ranges were originally created to help prevent a shortage of IP addresses available to service providers and subscribers. Only a certain number of IP addresses are available and with the wide spread of the Internet, those numbers were quickly being used, with more constantly needed.
Computers using a private IP address do not connect directly to the internet; instead they connect to a router, which supports Network Address Translation, or NAT. NAT is a mapping system for the IP addresses on a home network, connecting them to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP is assigned a public IP address, then uses private IP addresses to identify which of their users is connected to the internet via that address so that any information requested by that specific user is sent to the correct place.
By using the router and NAT, additional security is provided by the extra layer of process between the computer and the Internet.
Private IP addresses are in the following ranges:
- Class A: 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255
- 169.254.0.0 through 169.254.255.255 (APIPA, a feature of Microsoft Windows that allows internet connection when a DHCP server is not functioning, only)
- Combined Class B: 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255
- Combined Class C: 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255
The second range is set aside as Automatic Private IP addressing and is not used for the Internet. Instead, it is used within a local network to connect to other computers. The pool is 16 million addresses for Class A.
Combined Class B is ideal for medium-sized networks that only require access to 6,500 private IP addresses.
Combined Class C is used by smaller networks or networks managed in smaller blocks. Such networks only require access to the 254 addresses available in Class C.
Other benefits of this system include the access to several IP addresses through one system rather than having a specific address the user consistently connects to.
Also, no registration is required for the use of a private IP address. Only the connection to the host network, which provides an IP address to the user at their time of connection. This IP address can and usually does change repeatedly for the user on a network.
Optimal performance is also expected with the use of a private IP address.
The creation and use of private IP addresses allows the Internet to be accessed by a broader range of people and service providers and therefore continues to assist in the original purpose of the Internet: allowing anyone who desires it access to a wealth of information not otherwise accessible or at least not easily accessible. The status of dynamic, or constantly changing private IP addresses, also assists in this result.
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