When devices communicate across a network, they need a way to identify where information should go. On a local network, devices use MAC addresses to identify network interfaces. But MAC addresses aren’t designed to provide a practical way to route traffic across the entire world.

That’s where IP addressing comes in.

IP addresses provide a hierarchical addressing system that allows information to be routed from one network or area to another. Once a device is connected to a network, you can also use tools such as IPConfig to see important network information directly from your computer.

Why Do We Need IP Addresses?

MAC addresses work well for communication on a local network. Every network interface has a MAC address, and that address is associated with the network interface by the manufacturer.

But imagine trying to use MAC addresses to route traffic across the entire world.

There would need to be some enormous system keeping track of where every MAC address is physically located. As devices moved from one network to another, that information would also need to be managed and updated.

Instead, networks use a hierarchical addressing system.

An IP address provides information that can be used to route traffic through increasingly specific parts of a network.

You can think of it as a way of narrowing down where information needs to go. Traffic can first be routed toward a particular area or network and then progressively closer to the destination.

IPv4 Addresses

One common type of IP address is an IPv4 address.

IPv4 addresses are 32 bits in length and are normally displayed using decimal numbers rather than a long string of binary digits.

For example:

192.168.40.41

The address is divided into four sections called octets.

Each octet represents 8 bits, giving the complete IPv4 address a total of 32 bits.

The hierarchical nature of IP addressing allows ranges of addresses to be divided and assigned to different entities, networks, businesses, and other organizations. Those ranges can then be subdivided further as needed.

This hierarchy is what makes IP addressing useful for routing traffic across large networks.

IP Addresses Can Change

Unlike a MAC address, which is associated with the network interface, a device’s IP address is associated with the network it’s connected to.

For example, if you take a laptop from one network and connect it to another, the laptop may receive an IP address from a completely different range.

IP addresses are commonly assigned dynamically when a device connects to a network.

This allows networks to manage their available addresses without requiring every device to have a permanent IP address.

How IP Addresses Are Assigned

IP address ranges are managed through a hierarchy of organizations and entities.

The transcript introduces ICANN and IANA as part of this process, with address ranges being allocated and then further divided among entities such as ISPs, businesses, and other organizations.

This hierarchical allocation mirrors the way IP addresses are used for routing.

Rather than needing to know the physical location of every individual device, networks can work with progressively smaller address ranges to help determine where traffic should go.

Viewing Your Network Information with IPConfig

Understanding IP addressing is one thing, but it’s also useful to be able to see the information assigned to your own computer.

On Windows, the IPConfig command provides a quick way to view network configuration information.

Start by opening the Windows Command Prompt. You can do this by searching for:

CMD

Once the Command Prompt is open, enter:

ipconfig

The command displays information about your network connections, including details such as:

• IPv4 address
• IPv6 address
• Subnet mask
• Default gateway

This gives you a quick way to see how your computer is configured on the network.

What Does IPConfig /all Show?

The basic ipconfig command provides useful information, but you can get additional details by using:

ipconfig /all

One of the additional pieces of information you can find is the MAC address, which Windows may display as the Physical Address for the network interface.

This makes ipconfig /all particularly useful when you want to see more complete information about a network adapter.

IP Addressing and IPConfig Work Together

IP addressing explains how networks identify and route traffic, while IPConfig gives you a practical way to see some of that addressing information on your own Windows computer.

The key ideas to remember are:

• MAC addresses identify network interfaces and are useful for local network communication.
• IP addresses provide a hierarchical addressing system that supports routing across larger networks.
• IPv4 addresses are 32 bits and are commonly displayed as four decimal octets.
• A device can receive a different IP address when it connects to a different network.
• IPConfig lets you view important network configuration information from the Windows Command Prompt.
• IPConfig /all provides additional information, including the MAC address or Physical Address.

These concepts are foundational to understanding how networks communicate. Once you understand the difference between MAC addressing and IP addressing, it becomes much easier to understand how devices communicate both locally and across larger networks.

Continue Learning Networking

If you’re building your networking fundamentals, these concepts are an important part of the foundation.

You can also practice these concepts through the free Networking Starter Experience and continue building your understanding of how networks work.