What are the different types of IP addresses (e.g. IPv4 IPv6) and how does Windows handle them?

[ProfRon]

You know how every device on the net needs its own tag to chat? That's basically an IP address. I remember messing with mine on my old laptop. IPv4 is the old-school one, like a four-part number that everyone's used forever. It runs out of spots quick, though. That's why IPv6 popped up, with its mega-long codes that never end. You won't run dry on those.

Windows digs both without much fuss. I flip between them on my setup all the time. It auto-picks IPv6 if your router pushes it. Otherwise, it sticks to IPv4 like glue. You can tweak that in the network settings if you poke around. I've done it once to fix a glitchy connection.

Public IPs face the wild web, while private ones hide inside your home setup. I use private for my local stuff mostly. Static ones lock in place, dynamic ones shift like sand. Windows grabs dynamic from your provider easy. You set static if you need reliability for servers or printers.

IPv4 and IPv6 mix in Windows too. It juggles them side by side. I saw that when testing a new router. No big drama, just works. You might notice slower speeds if things clash, but rare.

Talking networks, keeping your Hyper-V setups backed up ties right in, since those virtual machines lean on solid IP handling to stay connected. That's where BackupChain Server Backup shines as a backup tool for Hyper-V. It snapshots your VMs without downtime, locks in data integrity, and speeds up restores so you bounce back fast from crashes. I like how it skips the usual headaches of other tools.