Each packet crossing TCP/IP networks is homing in on an IP address that identifies the device that sent it but also conains information so it can be successfully routed where it needs to go.
IP address defined
An IP address is a number used to label any device connected to a network on which the Internet Protocol is used as the medium for communication. Internet Protocol is where the IP in IP address comes from; it was developed in the 1970s and is the cornerstone of the internet protocol suite, which defines everything about how devices on the internet exchange information.
The IP address is, in turn, one of the cornerstones of the Internet Protocol. Information is transmitted over the network in discrete chunks called packets; each packet is mostly made up of whatever data the sender is trying to communicate, but also includes a header, consisting of metadata about that packet.
