The Internet Protocol is the foundation, without which there would not be possible to use the Internet, even if they require a lot of other factors needed. This protocol, also simply abbreviated with IP and in the vernacular so commonly used, is one of about 500 network protocols, which belong to the Internet protocol suite, and thus forms a basis for the entire strand, networked communication on the Internet. The internet protocol implements the mediation of the TCP / IP model (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). This model in turn, describes both the structure, as well as the interaction of network protocols from the Internet protocol suite, and then divided them into classes build on each other. The IP forms the first independent film in the transmission media. With an Internet Protocol address - just IP address - and a subnet mask, all computers are grouped in a network in so-called logical units. A subnet mask is a mask - a multi-digit binary number, which allows information from other such numbers to read from or save them. This bit mask specifies how many IP addresses are covered in the computer network. Thus, it is finally possible to address in small and large computer networks so that they can establish connections with each other. Today is the world almost exclusively the IPv4 Internet Protocol version in use and standard. This represents the fourth version IPv4. This version uses so-called 32-bit addresses to be used, making it possible for a total of 4,294,967,296 (slightly to produce less than 4.3 billion) unique IP addresses. Since addresses are usually shown in decimal in four blocks of three digits, see this as in the example: . Each of these four blocks is a grouping of eight bits, thereby giving each of them has a value range of 0-255. These IP addresses can be through the DNS system (Domain Name System) throughout the world in names and back into numbers. For example, the IP address of the search engine Google: . Are you this in the address bar of your browser, you come automatically to the home page of Google.

As it now is to address growing shortages, particularly in Asia, the IPv4 IPv6 was developed to continue. This development no longer works with 32, but with 128-bit addresses. It is now possible to obtain more than 340 sextillion unique addresses. As advertised number, this means: 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 Currently, the IPv6 standard and most have no computer is also not yet able to handle this, but just in Asia to work more to develop technologies that will enable by default in the near future, the new Internet protocol.

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