Think it through together · A little story
A girl writes a delivery address on an envelope, while the robot gives an IP address to a piece of data. Both help find a destination.
Lay out the process
- Device interfaceGets an address
- PacketCarries a destination address
- Network forwardingDelivers it toward the right network
IP addresses are used for network addressing and help deliver data to the corresponding network interface.
IPv4 is often written as four groups of numbers; IPv6 uses a longer notation. A device may have multiple addresses, and its address can change when it joins a different network.
Think of it as a location clue on a network, rather than as a person’s name.
Your turn to try
Could a phone’s IP address change when it switches from home Wi-Fi to a mobile network?
Have you thought it through? Open for an explanation
Yes. An address depends on the network it is connected to and how addresses are assigned. It is not a permanent name for the phone.
Take away one discovery
IP addresses are used for network addressing and help deliver data to the corresponding network interface.
Try covering the diagram above and explaining each step to someone in your family. If one step is hard to explain, go back and look at that card again.