Published video
Internet A-Z
IP Addresses: How the Internet Identifies Every Device
When you send a message, open a website, or play a video, your data doesn’t magically reach the right device. It breaks into packets, travels through multiple networks, and still somehow reaches exactly the right destination. How does the Internet know where each packet should go? In this episode of Internet A–Z, we uncover the concept of IP addresses — the address system of the Internet. You’ll learn: Why every device on the Internet needs an address How routers use IP addresses to forward data Why IP addresses change when you switch networks The difference between IPv4 and IPv6 Why NAT exists for IPv4, and why IPv6 doesn’t normally need it This episode builds directly on our previous discussion about how data flows through the Internet, and sets the foundation for the next episode on DNS — the Internet’s phonebook. 📌 This series explains the Internet layer by layer, using mental models instead of definitions. Next episode: How names like google.com become IP addresses (DNS). Happy Networking.