How is an IP Packet moved around the internet

Unlike a shipping package which can be moved around by a person or a shipping truck, An IP Packet is so dumped. It needs a device that can put and wrap it in a Layer-2 box then send it to another device.

Any devices (server, firewall, PCs, modem ...) that have the ability of receive an IP Packet, read its Header IP information then forward to the next device are called routers. Routers rely on its routing table to forward a received IP packet.

What is IP address

Because all the network devices are using the same TCP/IP protocol to communicate to each other. They must have a unique address to distinguish from the other. That address is called IP address.

Now we have two version of the IP addresses: IP version 4 (IPv4) and IP version 6 (IPv6). Although IPv4 is supposed to end soon because it supports only 2^32 = 4.3 billion addresses, it is still widely used until now because of the NAT.

The Network Address Translation allows us to use any Private IP addresses and translate them into Public IP Address(es) in order to communicate to the internet (Public IP Addresses).

There are 4 ways you can publish your server to the internet from your house:

1. Using the modem provided by your ISP, configure the DMZ feature to host all services from your server.

2. Using the modem provided by your ISP, configure the port forwarding feature to host specific port from your server such as TCP port 80 for Web service...

3. Turning the modem provided by your ISP to a normal layer-2 switch by enabling its BRIDGE mode in the configuration page.

4. Asking your Internet Service Provider allow the IP passthrough feature to get additional public IP addresses.

You should ask your Internet Service Provider for a free second IP passthrough

You would like to set up a network related lab in your house but you do NOT like to mess up your home network. So the only way you can do it is asking your ISP for a free second IP address.