IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

Format: 192.168.1.1 (4 octets, 0-255 each)

Key Points:

• 32-bit address = ~4.3 billion addresses
• Problem: Internet ran out of addresses
• Still dominant today (most websites, servers)

Example: 13.250.177.223 (AWS server)

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)

Format: 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334 (hexadecimal)

Key Points:

• 128-bit address = virtually unlimited
• Future-proof but slow adoption
• AWS supports both IPv4 and IPv6

DevOps Note: Most tools still use IPv4 by default

Public vs Private IP - Critical for DevOps

Public IP

What:

• Accessible from internet
• Globally unique (like your phone number)