An "IP address" is a unique identification connection number

Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a particular label to certain devices, such as computers, connected to a certain network or the public internet. It is the virtual address or location of those who access the internet. IP addresses are displayed in a dotted-quad and appear such as 125.6.7.112. Every user should have unique and different ip address.

IP address is really important as it is through IP, lots of information is stored and things that can be done. IP address enables users to communicate and interact to each other through gaming activities, sending and receiving email and a whole lot more. The ip serves as an identification of a certain internet user and many people usually use ip address as a way of identifying and tracking some users for varying reasons.

IP address can also be used in controlling unusual activities on a particular site or even on the activities of a certain user. If you are participating in an online community, you might have observed that there are particular members who abused the policies set by that online community. The admin of that site bans that member not just by banning the email address but also by banning the ip address. It would be easier for the admin to track and monitor abusive users through ip address as It cannot be changed right away.

However, there are different types of ip address that one should be aware of. Though ip address serves as the location of a certain device, yet there is still possibility that it can be change by using dynamic ip address. Dynamic IP address could be change anytime, whether automatically or manually. In some cases, those who are using dial-up internet are those that are mostly using dynamic ip address. The advantage of using dynamic address is that a certain user can actually surf the internet with so much anonymity. Site owners will not be able to determine that a particular person is visiting them in a regular basis because every time that user logs in, a different ip address is displayed. However, this can also be a problem for other users as there are sites who do not allow one account being accessed through various ip address. At the same time, manually assigned ip servers can also be a problem as this could also be a group for the disconnection from the user’s ISP provider. The number of times a particular ip address is change still depends on the nature of the DHCP server of the internment.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP determines the nature of your ip, static or dynamic. For users, who are using routing devices such as LAN routers, Ips are automatically assigned. However, DHCP serves can also assign static ip address, which is somewhat uncommon. Static ip addresses are those that are permanent and difficult to be change. Changing a static ip address requires the help of your ISP servers. However, static ip address is commonly used for those that require higher level of service like users who are running and managing their own web and email servers. Static ip addresses are more personal and very much stable unlike the dynamic ip address in which there is a possibility that two users can actually share same ip address. At the same time,in order to obtain a static ip address , one must avail or upgrade a business account from their ISP providers.

Choosing the right type of ip address depends on the users. It is important that the users knows the advantages and disadvantages of both dynamic and static ip address and whether those would actually satisfy their needs in accessing the internet.