Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol (IP) is a network-layer protocol that carries datagrams across interconnected networks using source and destination addresses. It provides best-effort delivery without guaranteeing arrival, order, or error-free transmission.

IP datagram: A formatted unit of data carried by Internet Protocol, containing a header and payload. Its header supplies the addressing and control information used to forward each packet.
Network layer: The layer of network architecture responsible for addressing and forwarding packets between networks. IP is the Internet’s principal protocol at this architectural layer.
IPv4 address exhaustion: The shortage of unallocated public IPv4 addresses caused by the limits of its 32-bit address space. Address exhaustion was a major reason for developing and deploying IPv6.
Internet: The global system of interconnected networks that communicate using the Internet protocol suite. IP datagrams are the common delivery unit linking the Internet’s diverse networks.
IP address: A numeric identifier assigned to a network interface for communication using Internet Protocol. Source and destination addresses identify the endpoints of an IP datagram.
Packet switching: A communication method that sends data in separately routed packets over shared network links. IP datagrams travel through packet-switched networks rather than dedicated end-to-end circuits.
Network Address Translation: A technique that rewrites IP address information as packets pass through a network device. NAT extends the use of scarce IPv4 addresses but complicates end-to-end connectivity.
Traceroute: A diagnostic tool that estimates the sequence of routers along a path to a destination. Traceroute uses IP forwarding behavior and responses to reveal parts of a route.
IP routing: The process of selecting paths for IP datagrams across interconnected networks. Routers use destination addresses to choose where datagrams go next.
Internet protocol suite: The collection of protocols that enables communication across the Internet and many private networks. IP works alongside transport and link protocols in this broader suite.

Linked from 36 pages