The internet was designed around two protocol standards the TCP and the IP.a) Define what an IP address is.

Definition of an IP Address

An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that utilizes the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: it identifies the host or network interface and provides the location of the device in the network.

IP addresses can be either IPv4 or IPv6:

1. IPv4: This is the most commonly used format, consisting of four decimal numbers separated by periods, each ranging from 0 to 255 (e.g., 192.168.1.1). It can represent about 4.3 billion unique addresses.

2. IPv6: Due to the increasing number of devices connecting to the internet, IPv6 was introduced. It uses a 128-bit format, represented as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). This expands the address space significantly beyond what IPv4 offers.

In summary, an IP address is essential for routing traffic on the internet and allows devices to communicate with each other effectively.