| Public IP | Private IP |
|---|---|
| It is used on public networks. | It is mostly used within a private network or LAN to connect securely with other devices within the same network. |
| It is usually assigned by a Service provider or IANA. | It is usually assigned by a LAN administrator. |
| It is generally used to communicate outside the network. | It is generally used to communicate within the same network. |
| It can be known by searching “what is my IP” on google. | It can be known by typing “ipconfig” on the command prompt. |
| Its scope is global. | Its scope is local to the present network. |
| These come with a cost and are controlled by ISP. | These are free of cost and are used to load network OS. |
| It is routable and therefore, communication among different users is possible. | It is not routable and therefore, communication among different users is not possible. |
| It can be any number not included in the reserved private IP address range. Example: 202.60.23.1 |
Address ranges to be used by private networks are: Class A: 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 Class B: 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 Class C: 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 Example: 192.168.0.3 |
