The internet is an information super highway. Much like a car going to a destination, if it doesn't know where it's going, data can easily get lost without some kind of address to go to. If you've ever asked yourself, what is my IP?, then read ahead.
When a computer gets online, the internet needs to be able to identify it so that it knows where an information request comes from so it can return the data to that place. The same goes for anything that's accessing the internet. Your IP address is very important, because without it the internet would not work. An IP address is made up of four numbers, separated by a dot. These numbers can go from zero to 255. One example of an IP address would be 67.0.64.200
Some IP addresses are static, and some are dynamic. A dynamic IP address is chosen from a pool of predetermined numbers every time a device accesses the internet. This is pretty secure because the location always seems different, and it can save the ISP money. Static IP addresses are more for things like hosting a website, or for playing games. This is because a static IP address never changes. These are a little less secure, but by taking the right precautions it is still fairly safe.
There are a couple of ways to find out what your IP address is. If you want to do it yourself, you can find it out with your computer. For a Windows based operating system, click the start button. Then click on run. After this, type in "cmd.exe" without the quotes. In the next box, type in "ipconfig" without the quotes. This will give you your IP address. On an Apple computer, select "Apple System Profiler" from the Apple menu. Then select "Network Overview" and after that "TCP/IP". This will give you the information you're looking for.
Another, more simple way to get your IP address is to go online and look for it. You can find a number of sites by asking a search engine "what is my IP?" Sometimes though, the results can be a little too confusing to sort through. A great way to find your IP as well as a graphical map to show you where you're located physically is by going to the website located at http://my-ip-address.com
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