What are IP Addresses in layman terms

Dear Guru,

Thanks for the help, but I forgot to tell you the people I am explaining this too are total "idiots" who do not know a thing about IT. The more technical it gets like subnet mask and octet, the more questions they will start to ask?

Dear Snowdon,

The people will be asking why is our subnet mask 255.255.255.0? Why can't it be changed? That will be another question which I also do not know how to answer in layman terms?

Dear PCableGuy

The next question they ask will be why 32 bit?

Guys,

I thank you for your help but it really is still getting too technical. I only have another 20 mins left to explain to my GM why. I am getting a big headache out of this.

Dear khhc,
Tell your people that it can be changed, and if someone thinks it has to be done, they will have to pay someone to do the redesign of the network and re-assign all existing devices with new addresses... :)
The answer to the 32-bit question is that when the version 4 of the IP protocol was designed, nobody had even imagined a fraction of the internet, and so 32-bits was thought to be enough forEVER.. :) Now we have IPv6, that address space is 2^128 - a VERY big number.. :)

How many devices are there on your network?

Nice example, I was about to share it too.

khhc, you need to have an understanding when presenting it, so you can give out examples.  Can you postpone the meeting to another day?

And if their network is currently a 192.168.X.X network, it's been sized too small. Just like some neighborhoods some times have to be redesigned, so does the network..

Staying in the Post Office theme, let's assume you have 2 computers. One of them has IP address 192.168.1.1 and the second computer has IP address 192.168.1.2. When computer 192.168.1.1 sends a packet of data to computer 192.168.1.2 it actually put the destination address of 192.168.1.2 in the packet. That way the receiving computer 192.168.1.2 knows to accept the packet.

You can see a diagram of an IP packet here:
http://www.freesoft.org/CIE/Course/Section3/7.htm

Dear all,

You all are answering my question but there are other questions like why and how did the ip addresses come to 255 and not more?

It is not a meeting, it is an email which my GM wants to send out to the shareholders about the techincal aspectsa and limitations of our wifi, ip address and dhcp server. This needs to be done in layman terms. My GM also now then comes to know about ip addresses for internal and external use.

My network is using 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

Even my own IT vendor consultant also said that to explain this is difficult as it has been understood on how it is today, but to explain in layman is a totally dfferent ball game.

He is also cracking his head.

I think I need to go back to school to learn all this IT details so that I can re-learn and interpret them into layman terms.

Just my opinion, but you write for your audience. In this case, just explain the limitations without getting into the techincal aspects of IP addressing. If your network is limited to 255 or so users due to a hardware or software issues (or outdated equipment), then perhaps that's about as deep as you need to go. Just my 2 cents, good luck.

The first thing you might consider is to change the subnet mask on the gateway router to 255.255.255.252.
Change any devices with static IP addresses the same way.
Change the DHCP range to include more addresses.

So, if you have 192.168.1.1 / 255.255.255.0
and you change the subnet mask to 255.255.252.0
Then the subnet will be:
192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.254 i.e. 510 addresses.
and you can select a DHCP range out of that range leaving room for static addresses as for the gateway router.

I can't think of a simpler way to address your concern.  There may be issues with doing this but those can be addressed in the fullness of time.

Ooops ... I should have said:
from
255.255.255.0
to
255.255.252.0

An email from my GM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear All,

1.      The issue as I understand is due to the IP numbers allocated to each of the PCs. The purpose of the IP numbers (uniquely assign to each PC, phone device and / or iPad) is used to link and to identify them to the network. This means that the server will identify each user’s device using these assigned IPs.

2.      Our main server assigns the IP numbers to any PC in the network. So far the main server has assigned 255 IP numbers. All these IP numbers have been allocated to the PCs only.  Initially, the range of IP numbers that the main server assigned was just enough for all the PC  users in the office. However, as more and more users are now using iPhone & IPADS that require Wifi connection these range of IP numbers become insufficient to cater to all users.

3.      This is the reason why there is a connectivity problem at times.

4.      Last night the engieers reallocated IP numbers for our PCs / iPhones / iPADs.

5.      I believe that you should have no problem using the wifi now. We are also monitoring the situation.

I've requested that this question be closed as follows:

Accepted answer: 0 points for khhc's comment http:/Q_27555141.html#37516399

for the following reason:

It is my GM's and vendor's solution.

The original question was related to explaining what IP addresses ARE, in a way understood by "laymen". I believe the posters more than adequately have answered the question, and should be rewarded accordingly.

The original question was related to explaining what IP addresses ARE, in a way understood by "laymen". I believe the posters more than adequately have answered the question, and should be rewarded accordingly.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the ability to assign a separate network address/DHCP pool to the WiFi router (as a dual homed host) and simply route over to the primary internal network.  While not necessarily the ideal long term solution it would have seemed to resolve the issue with minimal impact.

Frankly, no one gave the correct solution, we are just going on and on about the same answer. As I was asking LAYMAN TERMS not technical terms or jargon. My boss's are not technical people therefore it needs to be layman terms where they can understand what is going on. The awarding of the points was also unjustifiable. Anyway the administrator has the power, i have no say in this.

Well, now that there is so much information, what *IS* the "correct solution?
The post office box and street address answers *ARE* the layman's version.  After that it's all about how they are managed, etc. and it gets a little bit technical.

Maybe asking a new question would be useful - with a little more guidance.  Like: what *is* their concern?  etc. etc.

Dear fmarshall, most of the replies are too technical because you have to keep in mind that the management are like primary school kids, i.e they do not know what is ip address in the first place, they don't even know what is a server. they only know what is click and if in doubt, they will call, shout, yell for me, which is why i need to explain such things in layman terms, so that even the old people on the street will know what is ip address after i explain it to them in layman terms.

If we take all the above answers and tell it to the old folks and the old folks again ask somemore questions, that means they do not not understand what was told to them in the first place.

We need to explain things in detail and in a way where everyone can understand and that it will not prompt them to ask more questions.

I hope this is the last time that I have to post anymore layman term questions again.

You didn't like the PO Box analogy or the street address analogy?