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Glossary > Internet Protocol IPv4

What is Internet Protocol IPv4?

Understanding Internet Protocol IPv4

Is the dominant protocol that operates at the Open Systems Interconnection OSI Network Layer 3. IP is responsible for addressing packets so that they can be transmitted from the source to the destination hosts. IPv4 is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol that provides the logical addressing system for routing packets across interconnected networks. It uses 32-bit addresses typically expressed in dotted-decimal notation e.g., 192.168.1.1, supporting approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv4 specifications are defined in RFC 791 and security considerations in various IETF documents. Organizations secure IPv4 through address allocation management, network address translation NAT, packet filtering, antispoofing measures, and monitoring for address-based attacks. For example, an organization might implement ingress and egress filtering on routers to prevent IP spoofing attacks, configure private addressing with NAT for internal networks, and implement access control lists to restrict traffic between network segments based on IP addresses. Related terms: IP addressing, Network layer, Routing, Subnet, CIDR, NAT, IP spoofing, Header.

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