IPv4, or Internet Protocol version 4, is a core protocol used for identifying devices on a network through an addressing system. It employs a 32-bit address scheme allowing for over 4 billion unique addresses, making it fundamental for routing traffic across the internet. As the first major version of the Internet Protocol, IPv4 has been crucial in shaping how data is transmitted and has paved the way for newer protocols like IPv6 due to its limitations in address space.
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