IP Addressing
In depthConcept
Also known as: IP, IPv4, IPv6
A unique numeric address that identifies every device on a network. IPv4 uses 32-bit, IPv6 128-bit addresses.
IP Addressing, explained
Written by EduVerseWhat it is
An IP address is the number that tells the network where to deliver data, a bit like a postal address for a device. IPv4 addresses look like 192.168.1.20, while the newer IPv6 addresses are much longer and written in hexadecimal. Some ranges are private and only work inside a local network.
Why teams use it
Every request your app makes, to a database, an API or a browser, travels between IP addresses. Knowing the basics helps you read logs, set up firewall rules and understand why localhost (127.0.0.1) on your laptop is not the same machine as a server in the cloud.
An example from work
Your app runs fine on your laptop but times out in production when it connects to the database. The config still points to 127.0.0.1, which on the server means the server itself. Replacing it with the database’s private address or hostname fixes the connection.
Our own explanation, not a quote from the book.
In the book
Sentences from The Software Realm, Decoded that mention IP Addressing, exactly as printed.
Peter “So we switched to IPv6 in 2011?”
Chapter 3 · 3.1.2 IPv4 vs IPv6: Running Out of Addresses · p. 65Open in the free previewPeter “How does my computer know what IP address that is?”
Chapter 3 · 3.2 DNS: The Internet's Phone Book · p. 67Open in the free previewPeter “the server has just one IP address.”
Chapter 3 · 3.3 Ports: The Apartment Numbers · p. 68Open in the free preview
5 more passages about IP Addressing in the full book
Read every conversation where IP Addressing comes up, with the interactive slides and demos.
Where it fits
Network communication, routing packets
Coverage in the book
Covered in depth: multiple pages with explanations, examples and simulations.
