The Internet Protocol

Nandini BajajNandini Bajaj
8 min read

Every day, billions of devices—like computers, smartphones, and smart TVs—talk to each other over the internet.

But how do they know where to send and receive data? The answer is Internet Protocol (IP).

Just as houses have unique addresses, every device connected to the internet has a unique IP address. The internet uses IP to figure out where the message(image, video, text, etc) needs to go and how to deliver it.

In this article, we’ll explore how the internet works, how IP addresses help devices communicate, and why this system is so important!

Networks and the Internet:

What is a Network?

  • A network is a group of computers that are connected and can share information.

  • It’s similar to a group of friends who stay in touch, share news, and collaborate on various activities.

  • Computers within a network can communicate with each other, and since networks are also connected to one another, a computer in one part of the world can send information to another computer far away.

Now that we know what a network is, let’s see how all these networks come together to form the internet.

What is the Internet?

  • The Internet is a huge network made up of millions of smaller networks that are all connected.

  • It connects computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices all over the world.

  • In fact, the word “Internet” comes from the idea of interconnected networks.

  • Working:

    When data is sent over the Internet, it is converted into tiny signals of light or electricity, called bits. The receiving computer then reads and understands these bits.

  • The speed of the Internet depends on how many bits can pass through the wires, cables, or radio waves simultaneously. The more bits that can travel at once, the faster the Internet works.

To make communication possible, the internet relies on a set of rules known as protocols.

Protocols:

  • A protocol - a set of rules that computers follow to communicate with each other. These rules make sure that information is sent and received correctly.

  • Even if two devices are different—like a Windows laptop and an iPhone—they can still communicate because they follow the same protocols.

  • Examples of Protocols:

    • IP (Internet Protocol) – Helps send data to the right place on a network.

    • TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) – Makes sure data is delivered fully and in the correct order.

    • UDP (User Datagram Protocol) – Sends data fast but doesn’t check if it was received.

    • DNS (Domain Name System) – Changes website names into IP addresses so computers can find them.

One of the most important protocols that keeps everything running smoothly is

the Internet Protocol (IP).

What is an IP?

  • The Internet Protocol (IP) is the system that allows computers and devices to send and receive data across networks.

  • When you send something over the internet—like an email or a website request—your data is broken into small pieces called packets.

  • Each packet carries instructions (IP information) on where to go and how to get there.

Need :

  • Every device connected to the internet needs a unique IP address so that data knows where to go.

  • Without IP addresses, sending information over the internet would be like mailing a letter without an address—it wouldn’t reach the right place!

  • When data is sent over the internet, the sender and receiver might be in different places, using networks with different speeds.

  • To handle this, protocols manage the flow of data and decide which device can use the connection at a given time.

IP Addresses

  • An IP address is a unique number assigned to every device or website connected to the Internet. It looks like a series of numbers, such as “192.168.1.1”.

  • It is a Layer 3 property,

    meaning it helps devices communicate on a network.

  • Types of IP Addresses:

    1. Dynamic IP Address – Assigned automatically by something called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

      : These addresses can change over time.

    2. Static IP Address – Manually assigned and does not change.

  • Every IP address has two parts:

    1. Network Portion - Identifies the network the device belongs to.

    2. Host Portion – Identifies the specific device within that network.

Since these numbers are hard to remember, the DNS (Domain Name System) converts website names into IP addresses, as explained in one of my previous articles on DNS.

To better manage networks, IP addresses are structured with subnet masks.

  • Subnet - a way to divide a big network into smaller, more manageable parts.

  • Subnet mask - determines which part of an IP address belongs to the network and which part belongs to the host.

For example: 192.168.1.1 /24

  • /24 : first 24 bits represent the network portion.

  • The remaining 8 bits: for the host portion, allowing multiple devices within that network.

Importance:

  • The subnet mask helps devices determine whether another IP address belongs to the same network or if it needs to communicate through a router.

  • If the destination IP is in the same subnet, data is sent directly using MAC addresses. If it is outside the subnet, the packet is sent to the default gateway.

Default Gateway:

  • A router that connects a subnet to other networks.

  • Each network has a router (gateway) that knows how to forward packets to the correct destination.

IP Packets:

An IP packet has two main parts:

  1. Header – Contains important details for routing and network control.

    Adds extra data, ensuring that packets are delivered smoothly and efficiently.

  2. Data – The actual information being sent.

  1. Version – Shows whether the packet is using IPv4 or IPv6.

  2. Header Length – Indicates the size of the header.

  3. Type of Service – Helps decide how important the packet is compared to others. Some packets need to be sent quickly, like video calls, while others can wait.

  4. Total Length – The complete size of the packet, including both the header and data.

  5. Identification – A unique number given to a packet.

    If the packet is split into smaller parts, this number helps put them back together.

  6. Flags – Controls whether a packet can be broken into smaller parts or must stay whole.

  7. Fragment Offset – If a packet is split into smaller parts, this number helps place each part in the right order.

  8. Time to Live (TTL) – Limits how many times a packet can be passed between networks before it is removed. This prevents packets from traveling forever if something goes wrong.

  9. Protocol – Identifies what type of data is inside the packet.

    It could be TCP (for web pages and file transfers) / UDP (for video calls and gaming) /

    ICMP (for network testing).

  10. Header Checksum – A number used to check if the header was damaged while traveling.

  11. Source and Destination IP Addresses – Show where the packet came from and where it needs to go.

The format of these packets depends on whether they use IPv4 or IPv6.


IPv4

  • Internet Protocol-version 4-introduced in 1983, is widely used today.

  • It follows a simple format with four sets of numbers separated by dots, like this:

  • 32-bit system, meaning it can create about 4.3 billion unique IP addresses.

IPv6

  • It uses a 128-bit system, meaning it can support an almost unimaginable number of addresses—a 39-digit number!

  • IPv6 looks different from IPv4. Instead of just numbers, it uses both numbers and letters, separated by colons. Here’s an example:

Why IPv6 is Better?

  • Providing more IP addresses.

  • Better security – It keeps data safer with better encryption and authentication.

  • Better privacy – It makes it harder for others to track users online.

  • More efficient communication – It speeds up data transfer by making routing more efficient.

IPv4 and IPv6 Work Together

  • Even though IPv6 is better, many systems still use IPv4.

  • This means both versions need to work together.

  • To make sure IPv4 and IPv6 devices can still communicate, special techniques were developed to allow smooth interaction between the two systems.

For now, both IPv4 and IPv6 are being used side by side, but in the future, IPv6 will likely become the standard for all devices.

IPv4 has worked well for years, but with more devices connecting, IPv6 is needed for the future.


Conclusion:

The Internet Protocol (IP) is what allows devices worldwide to communicate smoothly. It gives each device a unique address and helps direct data to the right place.

Understanding basics like IP addresses, subnetting, and gateways helps us see how data moves online. As technology improves, networks will become faster, safer, and more efficient.


Role of IP packets in Kubernetes:

  • The components of a Kubernetes cluster communicate with each other with the help of IP packets.

  • This helps to make data transmission between different components of the Kubernetes cluster possible.

To know more about Kubernetes & its components, explained in one of my articles on “Kubernetes”.

Kubernetes components detailed below communicate with each other with the help of IP packets:

  • Pods: A pod is the smallest executed unit of a Kubernetes cluster. It is composed of one or multiple containers and is assigned a unique IP address within the cluster. These unique IP addresses and packets enable pods to communicate with each other.

  • Nodes: The physical or virtual machine that hosts pods is called a node. Each node inside a cluster is assigned a unique IP address. Pods within the cluster communicate with the node through the assigned IP address.

  • Services: Services are logical abstractions that define a set of pods deployed within a cluster and the policy for accessing them. All services are assigned a virtual IP address during their creation. Clients use these IP addresses to access the pods associated with the service.

Conclusion:

The use of IP packets is essential for communication between various components in a Kubernetes cluster. IP packets bring many benefits, such as improved network performance, scalability, load-balancing, and observability in a Kubernetes deployment.

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Written by

Nandini Bajaj
Nandini Bajaj

Passionate IT student with strong Java and Data Structures & Algorithms skills, actively enhancing coding proficiency via LeetCode. Excited by fast-paced, creative environments and looking to participate in hackathons to gain real-world exposure, build innovative solutions, and grow as a developer through teamwork and iteration.