The use of computers on the net, as the Internet, requires that each computer has an identification that differentiates it from the other computers. It is necessary that each computer has an address, a way to be found.
The IP (Internet Protocol) is a technology that allows to the standardized communication between computers, even it is from different platforms, identifying them by a set of numbers on the net.
The communication between computers is made through the use of standards, that is, a species of “language” that allows that all the machines understand each other. In other words, it is necessary to make use of a protocol that indicates as the computers must communicate themselves. In case of IP, the applied protocol is the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Others exist, but the TCP/IP is the most known and is the used protocol on the Internet.
The use of protocol TCP/IP is not complete if an IP address will not be used. If, for example, data are sent of a computer for mine, the other computer needs to know my IP as well as mine needs to know IP address of the sender, if the communication demands a reply. Without address IP, the computers will not be located on the net.
What's IP Address? What's my IP?