Identifying the Genuine IP Address- Which of the Following is a Valid IP-

Which of the following is a valid IP address?

Understanding IP addresses is crucial in the realm of networking and internet communication. An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. This article aims to clarify which of the given options is a valid IP address and provide insights into the characteristics that make an IP address valid.

An IP address serves as the identifier for a device on a network, enabling devices to send and receive data. There are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are the most commonly used and consist of four sets of numbers separated by periods, with each set ranging from 0 to 255. For example, 192.168.1.1 is a valid IPv4 address.

On the other hand, IPv6 addresses are the newer standard and consist of eight sets of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons. They are designed to accommodate the growing number of devices connected to the internet. An example of a valid IPv6 address is 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.

Now, let’s analyze the given options to determine which one is a valid IP address:

Option A: 256.100.50.25
Option B: 192.168.1.1
Option C: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Option D: 123.456.789.0

To identify the valid IP address, we must adhere to the following criteria:

1. The IP address must consist of four sets of numbers (for IPv4) or four sets of hexadecimal digits (for IPv6).
2. Each set must be within the valid range for IPv4 (0 to 255) or IPv6 (0 to 4294967295 in decimal or 0 to FFFF in hexadecimal).
3. The IP address must not have any leading zeros, except for the special case of the address 0.0.0.0, which represents the default route.

Based on these criteria, we can determine that:

Option A (256.100.50.25) is invalid because the first set exceeds the maximum value of 255 for an IPv4 address.
Option B (192.168.1.1) is valid as it adheres to the IPv4 format and falls within the valid range.
Option C (2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334) is valid as it adheres to the IPv6 format and falls within the valid range.
Option D (123.456.789.0) is invalid because the third set exceeds the maximum value of 255 for an IPv4 address.

Therefore, the valid IP address among the given options is Option B (192.168.1.1).