5 Functions of Internet Protocol & its Importance

Internet protocols allow various devices to connect over the internet and thus act as the foundation of effective communication in the world of the internet. Internet Protocols serve an important role at the heart of computer networks. From global connectivity to error detection, the importance of Internet protocol cannot be denied. IP acts as the communication backbone and allows the seamless connectivity of various devices. Whether someone is browsing the web, sending emails, or playing video games, this all is made successful by IP addresses. It also exchanges data between networking devices and ensures scalability and reliability. 

Let’s have a look at the top five functions of Internet protocol and its importance: 

Global Connectivity 

The major function of Internet Protocol or IP address is connectivity. IP addresses allow devices to connect over the internet. Thus, it ensures global connectivity by allowing the data to flow between continents or regions and thus connects people and servers on a larger scale. Moreover, the IP address acts as the identification mark and ensures seamless communication across diverse networking devices worldwide.

Security and Privacy 

As IP addresses act as the code of identification for devices over the internet, it plays an important role in security and privacy. Although IP addresses do not inherently provide security features, they are essential for safe and secure communication and connectivity. Moreover, the encryption protocols work with IP addresses to ensure safe data transmission. To ensure the safety of your device, you must know my IP address. 

Addressing and Routing 

IP addresses assign unique codes to the devices. These codes or numerical digits act to identify the right route for the device. Thus, IP addresses play an important part in addressing and routing. IP incorporates both the source and destination IP addresses, as well as the necessary metadata for routing and delivering data packets. Also, IP addresses provide information about how to handle the data packets. 

Error Detection 

Internet protocols have checksums to detect errors in data packets. These checksums are used to identify the integrity of the data packets. They also ensure that reaches its destination. If any error occurs during the transmission, the packets can be safely retransmitted. 

Fragmentation and Reassembly 

Internet protocols also break large data packets into small fragments. This is to ensure safe and secure data transmission. Moreover, at the destination, IP reassembles these data packets to reconstruct the original data.