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Answer (EN)

**An IP address is stored and processed inside a computer in binary form (as bits)**, and the familiar notation with dots or colons is **just a convenient representation for humans**.

Short version:
**inside the system, an IP address is simply a number in binary format**.

---

## What this actually looks like

### IPv4

For example, the IP address:

```
192.168.1.10
```

Inside a computer it is stored as **32 bits**:

```
11000000 10101000 00000001 00001010
```

- each block is 8 bits (1 byte)
- 4 bytes together = 32 bits

---

### IPv6

An IPv6 address:

```
2001:db8::1
```

Inside the system:

- **128 bits**
- also in binary form

The hexadecimal notation (`2001:db8`) is just a **short form for displaying bits**.

---

## Why we do not see the binary form

Because:

- the binary format is inconvenient to read
- humans easily make mistakes with bits

That is why these are used:

- **decimal notation** for IPv4
- **hexadecimal notation** for IPv6

But for the network and the OS:

- it is always a **number**
- always **bits**

---

## An important point for an interview

- an IP address:
  - **is not a string**
  - **is not text**
- It is:
  - a binary value
  - on which operations are performed (masks, comparison, routing)

---

## In short, for an interview

> **An IP address is stored and processed in binary form (as bits), and the familiar notation is just a convenient representation for humans.**

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