How Does Static IP vs Dynamic IP Address Work?

A static IP address is like having a permanent mailbox number, while a dynamic IP address is like getting a new mailbox number every time you come home from school.

Imagine your house has a mailbox where the mailman brings letters. If your family always lives in the same house, the mailman knows to bring the letters to mailbox number 123, that's your static IP address, because it never changes.

But if you're staying at a friend’s house for the weekend, the mailman might use mailbox number 456 instead. When you come back home, he goes back to mailbox number 123, that's like a dynamic IP address, which changes each time you connect to the internet.

• A static IP address is used by things that need to be found easily all the time, like a video game server or a website.
• A dynamic IP address is used for things that only need to be found temporarily, like your phone when you're browsing the internet at home.