Public vs Private IP Addresses: What's the Difference?

When you connect to the internet, your device is assigned an IP address. This IP address is a unique identifier that allows your device to communicate with other devices on the internet. There are two types of IP addresses: public and private.

Public IP addresses are assigned to devices that are directly connected to the internet. This includes devices like your home router, your office computer, and your smartphone. Public IP addresses are unique and cannot be reused.

Private IP addresses are assigned to devices that are not directly connected to the internet. This includes devices like your home printer, your home security system, and your gaming console. Private IP addresses are not unique and can be reused on different networks.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following private IP address ranges for use on private networks:

• Class A: 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
• Class B: 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
• Class C: 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

Some examples:

192.168.1.1 - Private

193.1.1.1 - Public

10.0.0.1 - Private

15.0.0.0 - Public