What is Public IP and Private IP Address

IP ADDRESS stands for Internet Protocol Address and it works under the network layer of the OSI model. An IP Address is the address of any node or device connected to a network. It is used to communicate with various networking devices such as Computer, Printer, Scanner, Router, etc over a network layer. There are two types of IP Addresses: Public IP Address and Private IP Address.

Difference between public IP and private IP address

What is Public IP Address?

A public IP address is an address that is assigned to a networking device to allow direct access over the Internet. A public IP address is routable on the internet and it is globally unique. So, it can be assigned only to a single device in the world. You can get the public IP Address from ISP (Internet Service Provider) and for that, you have to pay the amount because it is not free.

Note: Any device assigned with the public IP can be accessed from anywhere on the internet.

What is a Private IP Address?

A Private IP address is an address that is assigned to a networking device to communicate locally. The private IP Addresses are not routable to the internet. This address is free and can be used on multiple devices available on different networks.

Note: Any device assigned with the private IP address can only be accessed locally and it cannot be accessed from the internet.

Ranges of Private IP Address

Note: With the help of NAT (Network Address Translation) a private IP can be converted to public IP.

Watch this short video on NAT to understand the concept more clearly.