A Looking Glass is a remote server used in networking that enables users to view routing data and run simple network diagnostic commands from the viewpoint of the network in which the Looking Glass is situated. In essence, it serves as a restricted, read-only gateway to the network infrastructure and routers of the company that operates it, which is usually a hosting company such as HostingB2B, an Internet service provider (ISP), or a network service provider (NSP).

This tool helps users understand how their data moves to and from specific locations by evaluating network latency, confirming routing paths, and troubleshooting connectivity issues from a variety of geographic points on the internet.

There are generally four primary categories of IP addresses when categorised by their scope or access:

• Devices that are directly reachable from the internet are given public IP addresses, which are globally unique IP addresses. They facilitate device-to-device communication over the global internet.
• Non-routable IP addresses designated for use in private networks, such as home networks and business intranets, are known as private IP addresses. They are usually converted to a public IP address by a router for external communication because they are not directly reachable from the internet.
• Static IP addresses are permanent, fixed addresses that don’t change over time. They are frequently utilised for servers, printers, or other devices needing constant external access and are manually configured or assigned by a DHCP server for particular devices.
• Temporary IP addresses known as “dynamic IP addresses” are given to devices automatically by DHCP servers and are subject to periodic change. They provide flexibility and effective IP address allocation, and consumer devices frequently use them.

Within the IPv4 protocol, a 192.168 IP address (more precisely, one that falls between 192.168.0.0 and 192.168.255.255) is a member of a reserved block of private IP addresses. These addresses cannot be directly accessed from outside of a local network since they are not routable on the public internet.

Rather, they are employed for internal communication in private networks, like intranets in large corporations, small business networks, and home Wi-Fi networks. For instance, devices on your network are usually assigned IP addresses beginning with 192.168 by your home router. The limited supply of public IPv4 addresses is preserved thanks to this system.

An ISP in Tier 1 A Tier 1 Internet service provider hosts the network diagnostic tool Looking Glass. At the top of the internet hierarchy are Tier 1 ISPs, which are networks that, mainly through settlement-free peering agreements with other Tier 1 providers, can reach every other network on the global internet without having to pay for IP transit.

Because it is located on the internet’s backbone, a Looking Glass from a Tier 1 ISP offers a special perspective for network diagnostics. It provides extremely dependable insights into global routing and connectivity issues by enabling users to perform ping, traceroute, and BGP route lookups directly from a provider with a global reach with the fewest number of network hops.

An illustration of a A web page called Looking Glass, which is offered by hosting companies such as HostingB2B, enables you to conduct network tests from the locations of their data centres. For example, you could choose a Cyprus-based server by going to HostingB2B’s Looking Glass page. After that, you could type in the IP address of your website and select “traceroute.”

The full network path, latency at each hop, and any packet loss would then be displayed by the Looking Glass as it ran the traceroute command from the Cyprus data center’s server to your website. This enables you to identify possible connectivity problems from that particular area and comprehend how traffic from Cyprus arrives at your website.

The term “Looking Glass” describes a server-based diagnostic tool that offers a “view” or “reflection” into the network’s connectivity and routing data from a distance in the context of computer networking. Because it lets you see how the network “sees” other areas of the internet or how traffic would flow from its vantage point, the name is similar to that of a mirror (“looking glass” being an outdated term for a mirror).

With its ability to provide external insight into network performance, route advertisements, and possible bottlenecks without requiring direct administrative access to the network’s core devices, it is an essential tool for transparency and troubleshooting.

Remote network diagnostics and troubleshooting are the main uses for the Looking Glass. Among its primary uses are:

• Identifying Problems with Connectivity: determining whether a server or website can be accessed from various geographic locations.
• Finding Network Bottlenecks: Traceroute can be used to identify network path delays or packet loss.
• Checking Routing Data: Checking if IP addresses and network prefixes are being advertised correctly via BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) on the internet.
• Evaluating Latency: measuring the time it takes to get from the Looking Glass server to different locations.
• Solving BGP Peering Problems: Understanding how various autonomous systems (AS) are sharing routes.

It provides invaluable transparency and helps network professionals and users understand and resolve network performance problems.

“Looking Glass” gets its name from the archaic word for a mirror. The tool offers a “reflection” or a “view” into a network from an outside viewpoint, so the analogy is appropriate. A Looking Glass server lets you see how a distant network—the network that houses the Looking Glass—perceives and engages with other areas of the internet, much like a mirror lets you see yourself.

It assists in offering an unbiased, outside viewpoint for network diagnostics, exposing connectivity details and routing routes that may not be visible from the viewpoint of your local network.

The terms “types of IP addresses” and “types of intellectual property” are frequently used interchangeably. On the other hand, when discussing IP address types in networking, they typically fall into groups according to version, scope, and assignment. Although the “7 types” are not universally accepted, common classifications that go beyond IPv4/IPv6, public/private, and static/dynamic include:

• Loopback IP: used to test network applications locally (e.g., 127.0.0.1 for IPv4).
• Data can be sent to every device on a network using broadcast IP.
• For one-to-many communication among a particular set of devices, multicast IP is utilised.
• For one-to-one communication between a single source and destination, Unicast IP is the most widely used type.
• Class A, B, C, D, and E (IPv4 classes): CIDR has largely replaced this historical address-range-based classification.

Thus, rather than networking IP addresses, the phrase “7 types of IP” may be referring to intellectual property (patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc.).

The most appropriate kind of IP address is determined solely by its intended use; there is no such thing as the “best” kind.

• Any server or device that must be directly reachable from the internet (such as mail servers or web servers) requires a public IP address.
• For internal network communication, private IP addresses work best because they save public IP space and add an extra degree of security.
• For servers (such as those provided by HostingB2B for dedicated or VPS hosting) or network devices (such as web servers and VPN endpoints) that need a constant, unchanging address for dependable access, static IP addresses are perfect.
• Dynamic IP addresses are best for end-user devices (laptops, smartphones) where a constantly changing address is fine and simplifies network management for ISPs.

Each type serves a specific purpose in the overall architecture of the internet and private networks.