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[Write to us](/en/request-information "Write to us") ### IP address [How IP-Adresses work](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#18360827c33d) [Why do we need IP-Addresses?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#section-4) [What does an IP-Adress look like?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#ab29428a8c6e) [Why are there two different types of IP-Addresses?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#section-5) [Which device have an IP-Adress?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#d8baacaa739c) [How allocation works in networks](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#2e3696b39254) [When does an IP-Adress change?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#88ce0f0942da) [How are IP-Adresses assigned?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#8a755e2f8a8d) [How are IP-Addresses used in VoIP?](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/ip-address#section-8) ### How IP-Addresses work Websites, such as **[www.nfon.com](/en/)** or **[sales@nfon.com](mailto:sales@nfon.com)**, also have IP addresses behind them. When you send an email, visit a website, or make a **[VoIP](/en/get-started/cloud-telephony/lexicon/knowledge-base-detail/voice-over-ip)** call, your computer sends data packets to the IP address at the other end of the connection and receives packets at its own IP address. In this way, the internet depends on IP addresses to function. ### Why do we need IP-Addresses? It’s simple: without them, we wouldn’t be able to identify specific devices or web locations, and we wouldn’t be able to send data to each other. It would be impossible to browse websites, send emails, or make video calls. ### What does an IP-Address look like? There are currently two different versions of IP addresses in use: IPv4 and IPv6, and they each look different. * IPv4 addresses are written as a string of four groups of numbers between 0 and 255, which are separated by dots. A typical IPv4 address looks like this: 192.168.0.1 The dots just make these addresses easier for us to read and have no other function. * IPv6 addresses are considerably longer strings of numbers, so they are written using hexadecimals (a numbering system using letters and numbers), which can fit more information into fewer digits. In addition to the 10 digits 0-9, six letters are added a-f. This means that each digit can have 16 different values, which means more combinations. * An IPv6 address has 8 groups of four hexadecimals separated by colons rather than dots. For example: 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0053 Often these addresses can be simplified. If you see two colons together it means only 0s are contained between them. So our example could also be written like this: 2001:0db8::53 ### Why are there two different types of IP-Addresses? Basically, because the older format (IPv4) is running out of addresses… There are over 7 billion people on Earth, but it is estimated that IPv4 only offers about 4.3 billion IP addresses. As the number of end users and end devices continues to increase, IPv4 is reaching its upper limit and will soon be unable to provide new addresses. By contrast, the newer format: IPv6 - offers enough IP addresses for everyone. This means IPv4 will eventually be phased out in favour of IPv6. Most devices are already capable of handling IPv6 addresses, so migrating to IPv6 will never be a problem for most users. ### Which devices have an IP-Address? Every device that connects to the internet or a local network requires an IP address to communicate with other devices. This includes not only common devices like computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets but also network hardware such as routers, switches, and printers. Even smart home devices like smart TVs, thermostats, and security cameras have their own IP addresses. These addresses enable devices to send and receive data, making it possible for them to function properly within a network. Without an IP address, a device would be invisible to the network and unable to participate in digital communication. ### How allocation works in networks IP addresses are usually allocated by routers to every other device on a home network. For example: Router: 192.168.178.1 This router will allocate an IP address to each device that joins the home network: * Phone: 192.168.178.30 * Laptop: 192.168.178.40 If you log on to a network that isn’t your home network - for example, the Wi-Fi network in a café - your device will be allocated a new IP address by the router in the café. ### When does an IP-Address change? An IP address can change for several reasons. In many home networks, routers assign IP addresses dynamically using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which means a device may receive a different IP address each time it connects to the network or after a certain lease period expires. Additionally, if you connect to a different network, such as switching from your home Wi-Fi to a café’s public Wi-Fi, your device will be assigned a new IP address by that network’s router. Changes can also occur if the internet service provider (ISP) reassigns addresses, which happens occasionally with dynamic IPs. However, some devices or services use static IP addresses that remain constant, ensuring uninterrupted access for applications that require fixed addressing. ### How are IP-Addresses assigned? The allocation of IP addresses is managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). IP addresses are allocated on a regional basis, and by service provider, and the process is handled automatically by network routers. In the case of VoIP solutions, such as the **[NFON Cloud Telephone System](/en/products/cloud-telephony/cloudya)**, IP distribution is also handled automatically. ### How are IP-Addresses used in VoIP? One of the key technologies needed to place phone calls over the internet is Voice over IP (VoIP). To send data from the right caller to the right recipient, the VoIP solution needs visibility of the IP addresses of the devices involved. This is similar to email and other tools that use IP addresses to figure out where to send information. ### Related Articles ### Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network and is generally known as the traditional phone network. It has been connecting people since the late 19th century, at first over copper telephone lines and later using fibre optic cables, satellites, and undersea cables. All of these are interconnected by switching centres which establish a dedicated connection – or circuit – between callers. Voice signals can then travel over this circuit. When the caller speaks into his handset, the caller’s phone translates the sound waves into electrical signals. These are transmitted over the PSTN (converted to optical signals for part of the way, so they can travel via fibre optic cables), and the phone at the other end of the line then translates the received signals back into sound. The arrival of **Voice over IP (VoIP)** technology – essentially, transmitting voice calls over the Internet rather than the PSTN – challenged traditional telephony and fundamentally changed how people communicate. 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