Understanding better what an IP address is

What is an IP address?

When you are connected, your computer will be assigned a unique internet address, called an IP address. This is the official location of your computer while it is on the Internet and allows other computers to route information to you. No two computers can use the same IP address simultaneously. Some ISPs give you a static IP address - your computer will always have the same address, while others assign a dynamic address to you each time - a different number each time you log in. The reason for dynamic IP addresses is that there are so many computers accessing the Web at various times, that eventually it would run out of numbers. Dynamic addresses allow web users to recycle addresses that are not in use at that particular time.

The IP address or IP number is a code made up of a series of numbers separated by dots that identifies a particular computer on the Internet. Every computer requires one to connect to the Internet. A web IP address looks like 216.147.47.134 and if you put http : / / in front of that particular IP address in the location bar on your browser, you can go to that specific page, which belongs to a terrific glossary on computer terms by Sharpened.net. Domain names are the word-based addresses for websites and are usually much easier to remember than the IP address.

A domain name does not become active until it is matched to an IP address. Before you can send something to someone, your email program must ask your Domain Name Server to convert their email address to its IP address. This process is called a DNS lookup. Coincidentally, DNS lookup is a valuable tool for finding websites that are no longer active. In addition to allowing computers to route information back and forth, IP addresses can be used as investigative tools. Law enforcement agencies around the world have been able to track criminals directly to specific computer IP addresses, even dynamic ones.

Who runs the Internet?

What makes the Internet so disorganized is also one of its great strengths. Nobody runs the Internet. That is because it is really a collection of many smaller networks, not one giant network. There are groups that manage parts of the Internet but no one manages it as a whole. It probably will not make a big difference to you, the user, one way or the other. Without a centralized system, legislative efforts to regulate the Internet by local or even national governments are extremely difficult to accomplish. What is permissible in one country can be prohibited in another.

While you may have the ability to express your opinion about another country's rules and laws, someone from that country may not have that luxury. Information may flow from one country to another across the Internet, but local governments can enforce their own laws. With millions of people online from nearly every country in the world, and the Internet's incredible diversity, it is almost impossible to design laws or guidelines that work worldwide. Fortunately, as the Internet grew, online etiquette and standards of acceptable behavior have developed. It is not all chaos.

There are some groups that help establish policies for the Internet. ICANN coordinates domain names, while the Internet Society acts as a clearinghouse for technical standards. The Internet Engineering Task Force works to establish Internet protocols and iron out problems. The Web Consortium acts as a forum to discuss specifications, guidelines, tools and software to develop what it calls a "collective understanding." For more details on the way the Internet is loosely organized, go to the ICANN website.

On a more practical level, a handful of companies - like Microsoft, America Online, Yahoo!, Intel, and Cisco have undue influence over how the Internet works simply because these companies and their products greatly shape the infrastructure of the Internet and therefore, how we use it.

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