Introduction to the Internet Protocol (IP)
Introduction to the Internet Protocol (IP)
If you’re just starting to study networking, terms like “protocol” and “IP” might sound scary. But don’t worry! In this article, we’ll explore the Internet Protocol (IP) in a simple and student-friendly way.
🔍 What is the purpose of the IP protocol?
IP works at Layer 3 of the OSI model, also called the Network Layer. Its main role is to deliver data from one computer to another, using an IP address to identify them.
📌 Think of the IP address as your computer’s street address on the Internet. It tells the network where to send the data.
Each IP packet has a source address and a destination address.
🧠IP and Routing: How does data find the way?
IP addresses are not random—they’re grouped into networks. Routers use this information to decide the best path to forward the data. Like Google Maps, but for data!
📦 What’s inside an IP packet?
When we inspect an IP packet (using tools like Wireshark), we see several useful fields:
- Version: tells whether the packet uses IPv4 (most common) or IPv6.
- Header Length: length of the packet’s header.
- TTL (Time To Live): max number of hops (routers) allowed.
- Protocol: indicates the next protocol, such as TCP or UDP.
- Source/Destination IP: the sender’s and receiver’s IP addresses.
- Checksum: a check to ensure the packet wasn’t damaged.
🎯 Fun fact: if a packet is too large for the network, it gets fragmented into smaller pieces.
Conclusion
Now you have a basic understanding of what IP does, where it sits in the OSI model, and why it’s essential. In upcoming articles, we’ll explore TCP and UDP, which work together with IP to handle complete communication.