The Internet Protocol

The internet protocol allows two devices, wherever they are, to communicate with each other.

Despite being called a protocol, singularly, it is actually a set of protocols with diverse functions. Together, they allow devices to send information, fragment it into smaller pieces, generate telemetry and manipulate the data flow according to the needs of users, among other things.

Basically, it generates a header on top of the packet that carries information about the sender, about the receiver, and the type and structure of the data.

There are currently two versions coexisting, IPV4 and IPV6

IPV4

The IPV4 protocol uses 32-bit addresses, which are noted in 4 octets of eight bits each, in decimal format they can be read as 4 portions separated by points that can take values between 0 and 255

255.255.255.0

11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000

both representations are the same address.

Due to it being a binary expresion of 32 bits, there are 2³² values.

It may seem like an almost infinite amount, but in reality, since 2016 all possible values have already been assigned to regional distributors.