Computer Science
Grade 7
20 min
IP Addresses: Identifying Devices on the Network
Students will learn about IP addresses and how they are used to identify devices on a network.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define what an IP address is and explain its purpose in a network.
Identify the basic structure of an IPv4 address (four numbers separated by dots).
Differentiate between a public IP address and a private IP address.
Explain how a router uses IP addresses to send information to the correct device.
By the end of of this lesson, students will be able to use an analogy (like a home mailing address) to describe the function of an IP address.
Recognize that IPv6 is a newer version of IP addressing designed to create more available addresses.
How does a pizza delivery driver find your exact house out of millions of houses in the country? 🍕 Your computer faces the same problem when sending and receiving information online!
In this lesson, you'll discover...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)A unique number assigned to every device connected to a computer network. It acts like a mailing address, allowing devices to find each other and communicate.A common example for a device on a home network is `192.168.1.101`.
NetworkA group of two or more connected computers or devices that can share resources and information.Your home Wi-Fi network connects your phone, laptop, and smart TV together.
RouterA device that acts like a traffic director for a network. It reads the IP address on incoming data and forwards it to the correct device on the local network.The Wi-Fi box in your house is a router. It sends the YouTube video to your tablet, not your parent's phone.
PacketA small chunk of data sent over a network. Large fi...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
IPv4 Address Structure
Four numbers, each between 0 and 255, separated by three periods.
Use this rule to check if an IPv4 address is valid. If any number is greater than 255 or there aren't exactly four numbers, it's not a valid IPv4 address.
Public vs. Private IP Address
Private IP addresses are used inside a local network (like your home Wi-Fi) and start with `10.`, `192.168.`, or `172.16.` through `172.31.`. All other IP addresses are public.
Use this rule to identify if an IP address is for communicating within a private network or across the global internet. Your router has one public IP, but gives many private IPs to your devices.
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Challenging
Your computer has a private IP of `192.168.1.5`. Your friend, who is on the same Wi-Fi network, has a computer with an IP of `10.0.0.5`. You are unable to share files directly with each other. What is the most likely reason for this problem?
A.One computer is using a dynamic IP and the other is using a static IP.
B.The computers are on two different private networks, even though they are connected to the same router.
C.The IP address `10.0.0.5` is a public IP and cannot communicate with a private IP.
D.The router is broken and needs to be replaced.
Challenging
How can all the devices in your home (a laptop, two phones, and a smart TV) access the internet at the same time when your Internet Service Provider (ISP) only gives your home one single public IP address?
A.The devices take turns using the public IP address very quickly.
B.Only one device can actually access the internet at any given moment.
C.The router uses a process called NAT (Network Address Translation) to manage requests, sending them out using its public IP and directing the responses back to the correct private IP.
D.Each device secretly has its own public IP address that is hidden from the user.
Challenging
A data packet is sent from your computer (private IP `192.168.1.10`) to a web server (public IP `151.101.65.121`). Which of the following IP addresses will be on the packet's 'sender' field when it is traveling across the main internet?
A.Your computer's private IP (`192.168.1.10`)
B.Your router's public IP address
C.The web server's public IP (`151.101.65.121`)
D.randomly generated IP address
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