Internet Protocol

Something like a phone number or address.

IP Address, or IPv4

  • An IP Address is logical because it can change based on the location of devices
  • It is assigned manually or dynamically
  • It is represented in decimal and has four octets, x.x.x.x
  • The range is 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255, which is 32 bits
  • In 255.255.255.0, the first three octets are fixed for that network. This is like a fixed street name, but different houses, or devices, have a different last octet that is unique to that device
  • The last octet is for the host
  • The first three octets are for the network, or subnet

MAC, or Media Access Control

  • The MAC Address is the name of the device
  • The IP Address is the location of the device
  • A MAC Address is a named physical address
IP AddressMAC Address
Needed for communicationNeeded for communication
32 bits48 bits
Represented in decimalRepresented in hexadecimal
[[Router and BridgeRouter]] needs the IP Address to forward data
Example: 10.10.23.56Example: 70-20-84-00-ED-FC

Port Address or Port Number

  • Many processes run in a node
  • Data that is sent or received must reach the correct process
  • A port is a communication endpoint
  • Every process in a node is uniquely identified with port numbers
  • Port numbers can be fixed or dynamic, from 0 to 65535