Private and Public IP Addresses: What’s the Difference ?

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses is usually of two types: Public and Private. If you have ever wondered to know what is the difference between a public and a private IP address, then you are at the right place.

In this post I will try to explain the difference between a public and a private IP address in layman’s terms so that it becomes simple and easy to understand.

What are Public IP Addresses?

A public IP address is assigned to every computer that connects to the Internet where each IP is unique. In this case, there cannot exist two computers with the same public IP address all over the Internet. This addressing scheme makes it possible for the computers to “find each other” online and exchange information. User has no control over the IP address (public) that is assigned to the computer. The public IP address is assigned to the computer by the Internet Service Provider as soon as the computer is connected to the Internet gateway.

A public IP address can be either static or dynamic. A static public IP address does not change and is used primarily for hosting web pages or services on the Internet. On the other hand, a dynamic public IP address is chosen from a pool of available addresses and changes each time one connects to the Internet.

Most Internet users will only have a dynamic IP assigned to their computer which goes off when the computer is disconnected from the Internet. Thus when it is re-connected it gets a new IP.

What are Private IP Addresses?

An IP address is considered private if the IP number falls within one of the IP address ranges reserved for private networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN). The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following three blocks of the IP address space for private networks (local networks):

10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 (Total Addresses: 16,777,216)
172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 (Total Addresses: 1,048,576)
192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 (Total Addresses: 65,536)

Private IP addresses are used for numbering the computers in a private network including home, school and business LANs in airports and hotels which makes it possible for the computers in the network to communicate with each other.

Say for example, if a network X consists of 10 computers, each of them can be given an IP starting from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.10. Unlike the public IP, the administrator of the private network is free to assign an IP address of his own choice (provided the IP number falls in the private IP address range as mentioned above).

Devices with private IP addresses cannot connect directly to the Internet. Likewise, computers outside the local network cannot connect directly to a device with a private IP. It is possible to interconnect two private networks with the help of a router or a similar device that supports Network Address Translation.

If the private network is connected to the Internet (through an Internet connection via ISP), then each computer will have a private IP as well as a public IP. Private IP is used for communication within the network where as the public IP is used for communication over the Internet. Most Internet users with a DSL/ADSL connection will have both a private as well as a public IP.

You can know your private IP by typing ipconfig command in the command prompt. The number that you see against “IPV4 Address:” is your private IP which in most cases will be 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2. Unlike the public IP, private IP addresses are always static in nature.

Common Myth about Private IP Address:

Most people assume that a private IP is the one used for stealth Internet activities and hence cannot be detected. But this is NOT TRUE!.

Unlike what most people think, a private IP address (unlike the private telephone number) is just like any other IP address that belongs to a private network. In reality, there is no public IP address that is impossible to trace as the protocol itself is designed for transparency.

 

Fingerprint vs.Facial recognition

Biometric technology and ID identification has greatly reduced the possibilities of buddy punching and unauthorized access for businesses. Yet there are different types of biometric technology on the market as a business owner has to decide which will work right for their building.

Fingerprint recognition:
Door fingerprint locks rely on scanning the unique ridges and valleys on the tips of a worker's finger. These fingerprints are used to match the fingerprints on file in the system to identify the worker.

Facial identification:
Facial identification works by taking pictures of a worker's face at different angles during the enrollment program. These pictures are stored in the system's database. When a worker uses the facial recognition system, they show their ID card as the system scans their face through the camera and matches it to the pictures in the system.

How To Choose A Biometric System? 
Both facial and fingerprint biometric recognition systems have their advantages and disadvantages. Yet the benefits should convince most business owners to invest in one of these security and time clock attendance systems. To decide which biometric identification system to pick, use these factors based on the type of business:
* How much can you invest in a biometric system?
* How many biometric systems will you need?
* Where will the biometric systems be placed (interior or exterior)?
* What environmental issues may affect the biometric system operations (i.e. dirty work areas that will affect fingerprint scans or lighting that may affect facial recognition)?

45% of End User Security Budgets Increasing

With much talk of budget cuts, many US-based organizations are still willing to pour dollars into their physical security initiatives, at least according to a recent study from by IMS Research. In fact, 45 percent of end users say that their security budget increased in 2012, the study found.

"It's clear that end users are still feeling the risk to their facilities -- and that means there's plenty of opportunity for manufacturers of physical security equipment," said Niall Jenkins, manager for video surveillance and security services research at IMS, in a press statement. "Just having a budget available was actually one of the top two reasons for end users paying to replace or upgrade their systems as well."

The survey, which polled 200 end users of physical security equipment across North America, found that the majority of these organizations are dedicating large amounts of resources to physical security. In fact, 44 percent reported that their organization's annual budget exceeded Rs. 5000K.

"Budgets either stayed the same or increased last year for those that spent approximately Rs. 1Cr and also for 85 percent of the overall market," Jenkins noted. "I wouldn't say that the security boom is over just yet."

Even with bigger budgets, users report concerns. Despite investing in new equipment, buyers say that their biggest worry is that vendors will suspend support for newly-acquired security products while they are still being productively used within the organization, the survey found.

Especially as the market in the US transitions from analog to network-based video surveillance, vendors are shifting their product mixes and ending support for products, said Jenkins in an interview with IFSEC Global. "There's also a transition to the use of video analytics, PSIM, and wireless infrastructure," he added. "In the fire market, you don't see that pace of development, while intruder alarm and access control are probably somewhere in the middle."

In addition, some vertical markets feel better served by security vendors. "The majority of end user markets, when asked about whether security meet their needs, were positive, but the transportation industry overall jumped out as one vertical that said the security industry wasn't meet their needs," Jenkins told us.

So, let us know. Is your budget on the rise? Where do you plan to invest?

Indian Company also increase there Security Budgets in 2013.

We hope that you have found this resource page to be helpful.  

 
If you have any questions about this page or anything related to CCTV or surveillance systems, please contact us at bhadra_1980@yahoo.com