What Is an IP Address?

On the Internet, information is broken down into packets, like pieces of a puzzle. For computers and other devices to communicate with each other, they use a set of rules, which are known as protocols. Multiple protocols help a packet go from its source to its destination. They are responsible for different functions, such as addressing, session creation, and route discovery and information, among others. 

The Internet Protocol (IP) is one of the most important. On the Internet, each device is assigned a numerical address, which is globally unique across the entire network. The information divided into packets is labeled with these addresses, which allows them to find their destination on the network. 

IP performs two basic functions: addressing and encapsulation. It also handles other important functions, such as routing, fragmentation, and reassembly of packets when needed. Addressing allows identifying the source and destination of each packet, while encapsulation means breaking down the original information into data packets and attaching control data so they can travel over the network. Routing ensures that each packet is sent from its source to its destination independently. If there is a problem on one of these paths, the information simply continues along the others. Encapsulating data in IP packets, breaking down the data into smaller pieces, and routing them through the networks that make up the Internet is based on a model known as packet switching. 

There are currently two versions of the IP protocol: version 6, the newer version, and version 4, the older although still widely used version. 

- IPv6

IPv6 uses 128 bit addresses and is considered the current Internet Protocol. It allows a much larger number of addresses (340 undecillions) and introduces several improvements over the previous version. These include a simplified header, more efficient routing thanks to route aggregation, fragmentation only at the source, and no need for NAT. Each device can have its own public IP address. 

The IPv6 protocol is still in its adoption phase, and approximately 50% of Internet users were already using it in 2024. IPv6 adoption has been slow and has encountered various challenges. While most vendors already support the protocol, access, application, and content providers must also adopt IPv6. For more information and to check if you are already using IPv6, visit IPv6.br. 

- IPv4

IPv4 is a legacy version of the protocol which is still widely used. It uses 32-bit addresses, allowing for over 4 billion unique IP addresses. While this was sufficient in the early days of the Internet, its current size requires the use of techniques such as NAT, a palliative solution developed to allow multiple users to share a single public IP address. 

It should be noted that, despite its efficiency in terms of saving IP addresses, NAT has several drawbacks that make the Internet more expensive and affect its use: it breaks the Internet's end-to-end model, preventing direct connections between two devices; it limits the number of simultaneous connections; it requires a lot of processing power from the NAT device; it makes it impossible to track packet routes; and it makes certain security techniques, such as IPSec, more difficult to use. 

More information: 

How does the Internet Work? Part 1: The Internet Protocol ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNQD0qJ0TC4&t=9s&ab_channel=NICbrvideos)

https://ipv6.br/ 

https://stats.labs.apnic.net/ipv6

https://www.google.com.br/ipv6/statistics.html

Description 
In the first scene, a girl is holding a letter. An envelope appears next to her. At the top of the screen, it says “To send a letter”. The text then changes to “You must write the postal address”. The words ‘sender’ and ‘recipient’ appear on the envelope. A postman picks up the letter and hands it to another girl, who shows the letter she has received. 

In the next scene, the first girl is next to a computer with the IP address 2001:bd8:123::1. A path connects the computer to the Internet, represented by a globe surrounded by different icons. The text now reads “It’s the same on the Internet” and then changes to “Devices use IP addresses to communicate”. An envelope representing a data packet appears, with the source and destination IP addresses written on it. Several envelopes leave the computer and travel toward the symbol that represents the Internet.