Nobody can deny that the internet is a vast space, and an IP address like 185.63.253.300 is more than just a series of numbers.
Yes! What if I tell you it’s more like a gateway to understanding the web of servers, devices, regulatory systems, and even the data flows? The aim? Something that can pretty much sustain the modern digital life.
Among all the numerous concepts of the internet, the IP address is something that is ubiquitous but often misunderstood. But what happens when your IP address doesn’t make sense?
For instance, 185.63.253.300 is technically wrong. If you can take a closer look, you will realise it is invalid. I know what you are thinking right now! It does look normal to the naked eye. But the final segment of an IP address or octet, only ranges from 0 to 255.
Thanks to the error, now we can also discuss the bigger picture: how exactly IP addresses shape online lives and what they reveal about one’s digital identity, security, and privacy.
Let’s take a look at the evolution of IP addresses, common misunderstandings, the role of tracking and privacy, and why society must rethink digital transparency even in the future.
What Is An IP Address?
Simply put? An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a numerical address. Each device connected to a computer network uses this numerical address, also known as the Internet Protocol, for improved communication.
An IP address can serve two basic functions:
- Identification of the host or the network interface.
- Providing the host location in the network.
The Types Of IP Address
Now, there are only two types of IP addresses, IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 is essentially composed of four octets, which are further divided by periods.
Here, the octets mainly range from 0 to 255. For example, 185.63.253.300 falls under the IPv4 category. As you can see, there are four octets in this, which are: “185”, “63”, “253”, “300”.
Each octets are separated by periods, which is represented with “.”, but wait! Have you found the reason which makes 185.63.253.300 an invalid IP address?
If you take a close look at the IP address, you will see that the fourth octet has exceeded the normal 0 to 255 range, which is not allowable!
On the other hand, IPv6 is just a successor of IPv4, which contains a 128-bit address. And how exactly are these addresses represented? You can see that these addresses are represented in eight groups, each containing four hexadecimal numbers, separated by colons.
So, yes! It would look something like this: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. As you can see, an IPv6 address contains 16 octets.
IP Data Is More Than Just Some Numbers, Here’s Why!
The IP address may seem like a mere routing system. However, it also contains some of the hidden information, such as,
- Geolocation: IP addresses can reveal a lot about a physical location.
- ISP identity: They act as an Internet Service Provider that issues the address.
- Network behaviour: It also contains the traffic type, which is associated with the address.
Hypothetically speaking, the IP address 185.63.253.xxx can belong to a hosting provider in Europe or Asia. This depends on how it has been allocated by region.
However, the “.300” octet does not exist in the real world. Additionally, the 185.x.x.x range is assigned to RIPE NCC. They manage the IP allocations for Europe, the Middle East, and some parts of Asia.
The IP address may seem like a piece of generic information. But, don’t be fooled by it! This can be a very powerful tool for marketers, malicious actors, and governments.
What Are The Things That An IP Address Can Reveal?
My mother is an average internet user, to be honest. All she knows is how to search things online or watch cooking videos on YouTube. So, for people like my mum, an IP address carries a lot of mystery and power.
On the other hand, movies often depict hackers obtaining precise locations in seconds through IP addresses.
But? In reality, people like me, who have a decent amount of knowledge about IP addresses, know that there is no less drama associated with it.
So, let’s take a look at what an IP address can reveal and what it cannot!
Things That an IP Address Can Reveal!
First things first, an IP address can reveal your approximate location. How precise is that? They reveal the city or region. However, they can never provide you with the street address.
If you are trying to learn about the type of user? An IP address would do the work for you. They can provide for whether it is a corporate network, residential, or mobile users.
Lastly, you can fetch the ISP information through a proper IP address.
Things That They Cannot!
Now, let’s take a look at the factors that an IP address is unable to reveal. (I am debunking some myth here, ofcourse!)
- Your exact physical address
- Personal identity data, such as your name and age.
- Specific device data without cooperating with the ISP’s information.
These misconceptions can make you feel paranoid about your privacy. But don’t worry! I am here to demystify the factors! For example, many believe that every single IP address corresponds to a single device or a person.
But trust me! This information (or, rather, belief) is also outdated and misleading for the average internet user.
Multiple users share one IP address through techniques such as Network Address Translation (NAT). This is quite common in spaces like corporate offices, entire neighborhoods, or even Wi-Fi networks.
The Dynamic Vs Status IPs
The majority of consumer ISPs technically assign dynamic IPs. This means the address can change periodically. So, it can be pretty challenging to track or for attribution purposes.
Reuse of IPv4 Address
The IPv4 addresses are often reassigned. Therefore, a user using an IP address may receive a different one tomorrow.
How Are The IP Addresses Weaponized?
IP addresses play a crucial role in defending against cyberattacks in cybersecurity. Here are the most common ways of IP address spoofing!
DDoS attack
The DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service, mainly targets IP addresses with massive traffic. This disables websites and servers.
IP Spoofing
The hackers can easily forge an IP address to hide their location. This can easily complicate the defense as well as attribution efforts.
Firewalls and filtering
There are various organization who prefer using IP blacklists. These IP addresses are useful to block malicious actors and allow the trusted ones.
Honeypots
The honeypot IPs can be helpful to attract attackers. Cybersecurity teams often utilise this method to study the methods of the attackers.
How IP Address Has Been Portrayed Over The Years?
An IP address has always been a part of network engineering. However, over the years, the IP address has gained a lot more popularity even in the public.
For example, the crime dramas often dramatize IP tracking. Secondly, they work on privacy for the applications through some top-level IP masking.
Lastly, they show that the activist groups are using the IP address to either expose or further protect the political matters.
What Are The Real World Applications Of IP Addresses?
There are plenty of scopes available where the IP addresses can be easily applied. For example, the investigators can use IP addresses to locate the cybercriminals. They can also identify which servers are hosting illegal content and further analyze the breach patterns.
Financial institutions are also a part of it! They use IP addresses to prevent fraud and further comply with the anti-money laundering laws, or AML.
The Content Delivery Networks, or CDNs, utilize geolocation to get access to the nearest server. This helps them reduce the latency.
Lastly, the VPN or Proxy services properly mask your real IP with another one, like 185.63.253.300. This was the users can easily maintain their anonymity or further bypass the restrictions.
Read Also:
