Think of the internet as a huge digital version of India — buzzing with traffic, full of neighborhoods, and everyone trying to get somewhere. Every house (computer/server) needs a proper address so deliveries (data) reach correctly. That’s your IP address.
But who decides these addresses? Can you just pick any number, like choosing your own flat number in Mumbai? Arre bhai, it doesn’t work like that. Let’s break it down, desi-style.
👑 1. IANA: The Supreme Government Office
At the very top is IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). Think of them as the Aadhaar Department of the internet. They issue blocks of IP addresses—but only to powerful regional bodies, not aam junta like us.
🌍 2. RIRs: The Regional Digital Sarpanchs
IANA divides the world into five zones and assigns a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to each. These are like the zonal offices of the internet:
- APNIC – Asia Pacific (we fall under this, beta!)
- RIPE – Europe & Middle East
- ARIN – North America
- LACNIC – Latin America
- AFRINIC – Africa
So APNIC is our go-to internet babugiri office for all things IP.
🏠 3. Hosting Providers: The Internet’s Building Owners
Now, these RIRs hand over chunks of IPs to ISPs and datacenters — think of them as the landlords of the internet. When you rent a VPS or server, you’re basically subletting a room from them.
You might get an IP like 103.217.252.10, but remember — it’s not your baap ka IP. You’re just a paying tenant. 😄
👨💻 4. End Users (You, Me, and Pani Puri Stall Websites)
We, the mango people (aam aadmi), get IPs through hosting companies. Some big shots (ISPs or corporates) can get their own IP blocks directly from APNIC. But for most of us, it’s “sir, please assign one IP only” kind of deal.
🛺 How Does Data Find You?
Enter BGP — Border Gateway Protocol. It’s like Google Maps for the internet. When an IP block is announced using BGP, routers worldwide go, “Oh! That gali is in Delhi. Route this way.”
Basically, your IP gets its location pinned on the global map, so your server is reachable from California to Coimbatore.
🔍 Reverse DNS and PTR Records (Like Caller ID for IPs)
Reverse DNS (PTR record) is when someone looks up your IP and wants to know your domain name. It’s like looking up a mobile number to see who’s calling — “Is this Airtel or some spam loan offer?”
But only your hosting provider can set that. You can’t just put modiji.gov.in on your PTR. Your ISP has to set it officially — just like only the RTO can give you a legit number plate.
📦 Can I Just Make Up My Own IP?
That’s like painting your own house number and expecting the postman to deliver your Flipkart order there. Nope. Not happening. The whole internet works only because we follow a proper IP hierarchy.
🥳 Conclusion: IP Addresses Are Not Naan You Can Just Bake Yourself
From IANA (the internet’s Delhi HQ) to APNIC (our zonal office) to hosting providers (your society’s secretary), IP addresses travel a long route before reaching your laptop or server.
So the next time you get an IP, know that it came down a very organized, slightly bureaucratic, and very global chain. Be kind to it. Feed it bandwidth. And if you’re confused, just ask someone — like you’d ask your chacha how to set up a Jio router.
Have questions about your IP, PTR, or why your emails go to spam? Drop a comment below — no RTI required!