TCP/IP addressing

TCP/IP includes an Internet addressing scheme that allows users and applications to identify a specific network or host with which to communicate.

An Internet address works like a postal address, allowing data to be routed to the chosen destination. TCP/IP provides standards for assigning addresses to networks, subnetworks, hosts, and sockets, and for using special addresses for broadcasts and local loopback.

Internet addresses are made up of a network address and a host (or local) address. This two-part address allows a sender to specify the network as well as a specific host on the network. A unique, official network address is assigned to each network when it connects to other Internet networks. However, if a local network is not going to connect to other Internet networks, it can be assigned any network address that is convenient for local use.

The Internet addressing scheme consists of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and two special cases of IP addresses: broadcast addresses and loopback addresses.