IP Address | Why does every device need an IP address ?

Why does every device need an IP address ?


          IP addresses are the numbers that identify devices connected to a network. If your device only needs access to a local network, it can be identified with an address that has only a local context. These are called private addresses. But when your device needs to access services on other networks, it needs to use a unique address. In some cases, this is done by translating a private address into a unique address at the border between your network and your ISP’s network. This technology is called Network Address
Translation, or NAT. NAT has the advantage of allowing multiple devices to share a single, unique address, but it also has
disadvantages. One of these is that the device doing the NAT must understand the protocol being used by the devices communicating through it. If the protocol you want to use is not supported by
the NAT, you cannot use it. This can cause frustration when, for instance, you are unable to use your Voice over IP (VoIP) service
from a hotel or airport lounge while travelling. But there is also a second problem. If a new NAT device does not support a protocol, it will stop the people using the network it serves from also using that protocol, unless it is replaced. This stifles innovation in the services that can be provided over the Internet. Losing innovation means losing access to new services that could enrich our lives. But the variability in the protocols supported by NATs means that services often either work or break depending on the
equipment used by the network operator, not by the setup on the individual user’s computer.