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guys, I am currently going through basic networking concepts... There is this piece of information:

'Briefly, an IP address (or Internet Protocol) address can be used as a way of identifying a host on a network for a period of time, where that IP address can then be associated with another device without the IP address changing.'

Please, would you be able to explain the second part of the sentence 'where that IP address can then be associated with another device without the IP address changing'...

I do not really understand what is meant by that...

Thanks

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    That is a poorly worded sentence. Can provide a link to the source, or at least a longer quote?
    – Ron Trunk
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 17:13
  • @RonTrunk it is from TryHackMe platform... I wonder whether it does not mean that one IP address can serve as an identifier for various devices (not simultaneously at once, but at different times)...
    – Jan
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 17:20
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    It's hard to tell without seeing that quote in context. Can you provide a longer quote?
    – Ron Trunk
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 17:23
  • @RonTrunk another sentence from the text states: "What's important to understand here is that IP addresses can change from device to device but cannot be active simultaneously more than once within the same network". This info might be related to my initial question..
    – Jan
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 18:49
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    If an answer helped you, you should accept that answer so that the question does not keep popping up forever, looking for an answer.
    – Ron Maupin ♦
    Commented Aug 17, 2023 at 21:40

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Most likely, that poorly worded quote describes an IP address „passing“ from one host to another.

A dynamic address is assigned to some host for a certain time, esp. with a DHCP lease or a dialup Internet connection. When that host leaves the network, its address is returned to the available pool and subsequently allocated by another host, repeating the cycle.

Better wording for the quoted text, imho:

An IP (Internet Protocol) address (or Internet Protocol) address can be used as a way of identifying a host on a network. The validity of that identification may be limited to a certain period of time though (minutes to days). Depending on the network and its settings, after that period the IP address may be associated with another device, due to dynamic address pooling.

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