The main difference between IP Address and Port Number is that the IP address is a numerical label that helps to identify a specific device in the network while the Port Number is a numerical value assigned to a process in the device.
A computer network is a collection of multiple devices connected together to share resources and data. It consists of desktops, laptops, printers, servers, routers, and switches. These devices are connected together using cables, fiber optics, etc. Each device in the computer network has a numerical label assigned to it. This is known as the IP address. This address helps to identify a device in the network. On the other hand, there are multiple processes executing on a single device. The port number helps to identify a particular process in the device.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is IP Address
– Definition, Functionality
2. What is Port Number
– Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between IP Address and Port Number
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
IP Address, Networking, Port Number
What is IP Address
IP address stands for Internet Protocol Address. It is an identifier to recognize the device on the network. Each device should have an IP address to communicate with other devices in the network. There are two types of IP addresses: IPV4 and IPV6.
IPV4 is the current IP address version. It is a 32-bit address and is written as four numbers separated by a period. An example IP address is 192.16.254.1. Each number in the address is called an octet. Therefore, 192, 16 etc. are octets. Each octet can have the range from 0 to 255. The computer represents each of this octet in binary. The corresponding binary representation of the above IP address is 11000000 00010000 11111110 00000001. It represents each octet with 8 bits.
Figure 1: IP address (IPV4)
IPV6 was introduced later since the devices on the internet were growing rapidly. It is a 128 hexadecimal address consisting of numbers and alphabets. An example address is 76DC:4F59: 34CF:71CD: 9DC6:89CD: 45D6:67A2. It has 8 sets each with 16 bits. It is possible to create a large amount of IP addresses using the IPV6 version.
What is a Port Number
A port number is a numerical value assigned to a process in the device. Usually, there are multiple processes running in the device at a time. When a device receives data, the port number helps to identify the process that requires the received data.
For example, assume that there are multiple processes executing in the computer. They are the MySQL, TCP, SSH, and Hadoop. After receiving the data, the port number is used to identify the process that requires the received data. In 10.0.0.1: 3306, the 10.0.0.1 is the IP address. It represents the device in the network. The number after the semicolon is the port number. 3306 is for MySQL. Therefore, the received data is for MySQL.
Difference Between IP Address and Port Number
Definition
IP address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. A port is a numerical value that is assigned to an application in an endpoint of communication.
Usage
Concerning the usage, the usage of an IP address is to identify a particular device in the network whereas, the usage of a port number is to identify a particular process executing in the device.
Conclusion
The IP Address and Port Number are two terms used in networking. The difference between IP Address and Port Number is that the IP is a numerical label that helps to identify a specific device in the network while the Port Number is a numerical value assigned to a process in the device.
Reference:
1. IP Address – IPv4 vs IPv6 Tutorial, PowerCert Animated Videos, 4 July 2016, Available here.
2. BrownellsTechTips. TCP, IP, UPD, Sockets, And Ports – A Brief ExplinationYouTube, Brownell’s Tech Tips, 10 Dec. 2015, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Ipv4 address” By Indeterminate – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
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