12.34.56.78 or 192.168.1.1 or 127.0.0.1
You may have seen numbers like these around the internet when you’re trying to upload files to your website, set up the office network, or troubleshoot your router. What do they mean?
These numbers are called IP addresses. They’re the numbers computers use to find each other on the internet and other networks, just like the post office uses street addresses to find your house. Normally, you visit websites by using human-friendly domain names, like example.com or blog.janusnetworks.com. But those names don’t necessarily always refer to the same computers or servers, like when you’re moving your website to a new web host. IP addresses, on the other hand, will likely stay attached to the same server as long as that server is in use.
Did you know that you can enter an IP address in your browser’s URL bar, just like you would for a domain name? It will bring you to the default web page for that server. (Caveat: Depending on how the server is set up, this is not always the same page as the home page for that website.) This is also how you can access your router’s dashboard – by entering its local network IP address in your browser. It’ll probably be on 192.168.1.1 or an IP address very close to that.
If you want to find the IP address for a website, you can use an online tool like the one at KLOTH.NET. The IP address(es) for the domain are listed in the “answer section.” janusnetworks.com uses two IP addresses – 38.99.124.181, and 38.99.124.182.
Try it! Put your domain name into the tool, and find your own IP address.
By Sharon Campbell
Image Source: Men & Mice