What is the difference between a static and dynamic IP address?

A static IP address is one that does not change over time. It is manually assigned to a device and is consistent, making it ideal for situations where the device needs to maintain the same address for services like web hosting or remote access. On the other hand, a dynamic IP address is assigned by a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, which allocates IP addresses to devices on a network as needed. This means that dynamic IP addresses can change periodically or whenever a device reconnects to the network.

This distinction is crucial for understanding network configurations and management. For example, enterprises often use static IP addresses for servers, while dynamic IP addresses are commonly used for individual devices like personal computers or smartphones, providing flexibility and efficient use of available IP addresses.