Skip to main content
logo logo
ICT Skills 5

Do you know what an IP address is? (4/23)

Yes

Find out

An IP address is a unique sequence of numbers that identifies a connection between a computer and a network. All Internet communication functions by using these addresses. Normally, computer addresses have 4 numbers between 0 and 255, e.g. 194.95.179.205. It is important to note that a computer can usually have only one IP address at a time within a network (except when establishing a VPN connection).

 

Dynamic and static IP addresses

IP addresses can be dynamic or static. An IP address is dynamic when it is taken from a pool of addresses and assigned temporarily to a computer. It allows the user to connect to a network without having to specify all the necessary network addresses manually. When working in networks, IP addresses are sub-divided into sub-nets by the network administrator and assigned to each computer. IP addresses are static when they are assigned permanently (e.g. to a server that always needs to be accessible at the same address). Another important concept is the notion of a private IP address.

Private IP addresses

Private IP addresses are addresses within a special address range (e.g. 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255) that can be assigned, for example, within a local network without having to register the IP address publicly.

How to find out your IP address?

If you are working with Windows 10, follow these steps to find out your current IP address:

  1. Go to Start on your Quick Launch
  2. Search for "CMD" or "command prompt" (without quotation marks)
  3. Select Comand Prompt
  4. In the DOS box that opens, enter after the prompt (C:> or something similar) the command “ipconfig” and press Enter.

Your computer’s IP address for each network device – such as an ethernet card, wireless card or modem ­– will be displayed. If you are connected to a network, your IP address will be the internal address on your network.

On the Internet you can also find many websites that check your IP address for you, for example:

http://www.whatismyip.com/
http://www.chami.com/Tips/internet/041498I.html

Why is this information important for translators and translation teachers?
When working within different networks – e.g. when travelling around with a laptop – it is sometimes necessary to change the network configuration of the computer to get connected. To do so, you need to know what IP addresses are and what they are used for. Sometimes it is necessary to specify your IP address to a service provider – e.g. your translation service provider – to get access to protected resources such as translation memories, data bases or internal web pages.

Next