Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2211 D684 Introduction to Computer Science Practice Test

The IP address is used to uniquely identify a device on a network by providing a numerical label that is assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. It serves two primary functions: identifying the host or network interface and locating the device within the network. The IP address allows for routing and proper delivery of data packets over the internet, ensuring that data reaches the correct device.

While MAC addresses are also unique identifiers, they operate at a lower level (the data link layer of the OSI model) and are used primarily for communication within a local network, rather than across broader networks like the internet. Domain names provide a human-readable way to identify addresses but ultimately resolve to IP addresses. A subnet mask is used in conjunction with an IP address to define the range of IP addresses that belong to a specific segment of a network, but it does not uniquely identify a device by itself.