What Is IP Address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a computer network. It serves as the device's location address on the internet, much like a street address identifies a building. IP addresses come in two formats: IPv4 (like 192.168.1.1) and IPv6 (like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334).
In the context of domains, IP addresses are what domain names actually resolve to. When you type nicename.me into your browser, DNS translates that human-readable name into the IP address of the server hosting the website. Without this translation system, you'd need to memorize IP addresses to visit websites.
Every web server has at least one IP address. Shared hosting puts multiple websites on one IP address, while dedicated hosting assigns a unique IP to each site. Cloud services like Cloudflare and AWS may use multiple IP addresses and load balancing.
Why This Matters for Startups
You'll encounter IP addresses when setting up DNS records (A records point to IP addresses), configuring servers, and troubleshooting connectivity issues. You don't need to memorize IP addresses — that's what domain names are for — but understanding the concept helps when your hosting provider gives you an IP to point your domain to, or when you're debugging why your website isn't loading.
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