One of the primary aims of speaking with another person is to communicate. There are many signals and tones that we use to identify a safe person to talk to. We hope that when we speak with someone that we will be understood. It is highly unlikely that we would have a prolonged conversation with someone we had never met who did not speak our language. From the time we are children we are constantly learning from the adults around us, how to communicate.
The term ICT is often used to describe computer technologies. IT stands for Information technology, Information Technologies are the devices that we use such as a computer, pad or smart phone. The C in ICT stands for communication technologies. For a device to download or to upload information it uses Communication technologies, Communication technologies are pieces of equipment such as a routers and modem and Communication protocols.
When your device connects to the Internet it is communicating with another computer. To do this it needs to use a protocol. This protocol must be known by both computers. The first thing they do is perform a handshake, if the handshake is successful. Then the devices can start to communicate. The protocol that is used between two devices on the Internet is TCP/IP ( Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).
In face to face communication we can see the person so there is no doubt to whom one is speaking. In written communication, a postal address is used. Telephone calls are made to a telephone number. A computer on the other hand uses an IP address to identify where a communication is coming from and where a download is going to be sent.
An IP address is, is a set of four numbers separated by full stops. e.g. 192.168.1.254. Each time you go onto the Internet you start a session and you are given an IP address for that session. The next time, you will be given a different one. Some businesses, particularly Internet Hosting Companies pay for fixed IP, giving them a set IP address.
If you wish to know what is your IP address p http://www.whatismyip.com/ will display your IP address, for your present Internet session. This could bring a new meaning to the well used cheer. Hip- Hip Hooray, Have IP, Have IP Hooray.
