IP addresses and datagram delivery
IP addresses identify network destinations; IP does not guarantee delivery.
Key knowledge
IPv4 source and destination addresses are 32 bits. IPv6 addresses are 128-bit identifiers for interfaces or sets of interfaces. IP provides connectionless datagram service without end-to-end delivery guarantees; packets may be lost, duplicated or reordered.
Conditions and scope
- Addressing and reliable transport are separate protocol roles.
- These are address-width and service definitions; historical classful allocation and operational tuning are excluded.
Historical classful allocation and obsolete implementation advice excluded. Addressing definition only; no address-ownership or human-identity inference. Architecture only; historical implementation and congestion advice excluded.
Sources · 3
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
- RFC 791: Internet Protocol, September 1981, 3.1Jon Postel / USC Information Sciences Institute, RFC EditorReference guide
- RFC 4291: IPv6 Addressing Architecture, February 2006, 2Robert Hinden and Stephen Deering / IETF RFC EditorReference guide
- RFC 1122: Internet hosts, October 1989, 1.1.3Robert Braden, editor / IETF RFC EditorReference guide
Evidence and review
Checked the stated ip addresses and datagram delivery and restrictions against the listed primary sections; exact inspected boundaries are in the author receipt.
2026-10-10 · Independent Physics and Measurement reference editor (AI editorial bounded review). Independent AI editorial review of this entry's statements, equations, applicability conditions and source coverage. Source checks apply to these claims within their stated limits.
Entry details
Permanent link to this entry ↗- Record identity
- foundation-info-ip-addresses
- Revision
- foundations-refresh.1
- Structured reference record
- Foundational reference additions