A home network can be considered as a private neighborhood. Each device in the household network, starting from the laptop and ending with the smart speaker, has a unique identification address. These unique identifiers are private IP addresses, which unlike a public IP keep things local and secure.
What Is Private IP Address in IoT
IoT-connected devices often imply private IPs when it comes to communication within the home network. For example, the phone can send instructions to the smart lightbulb using their unique private IP addresses, all within the secure confines of your local network.
Setting Up Your Private Address
Assigning private IPs is usually handled automatically by your router, the central device that manages your network traffic. You typically don't need to configure individual IPs. However, if you need to find the private IP of a specific device, you can access your router's settings page or use device-specific methods.
What Does a Private IP Look Like?
Private IP addresses have definite formats like: 192.168.1.101- a commonly used home network address 10.0.0.23 - another valid private IP range 172.20.30.5 - a IP block These addresses only work within your local network and are invisible from the outside internet.
Public IP vs Private IP
As unique identifiers for devices connected to the internet, public IP provides global communication. On the other side, private IP addressing is used within local networks, like home or office setups, to facilitate internal device communication. They aren't directly accessible from the internet and are often assigned by routers or DHCP servers, allowing for reuse across various local networks.
Private Ips and Secure IoT
Private IPs are directly related to security of IoT devices. Hidden from the public internet, they become less vulnerable to hacking attempts. In addition, routers utilizing Network Address Translation (NAT) act as gatekeepers. They filter incoming traffic and ensure only authorized data reaches devices.
