Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol is a network layer protocol (network layer in the OSI Reference Model) or internetwork layer protocol (internetwork layer in the DARPA Reference Model) used by TCP / IP for addressing and routing data packets between hosts in a computer network-based TCP / IP. A widely used version of IP is IP version 4 (IPv4) defined in RFC 791 and published in 1981, but some time to come will be replaced by IP version 6.

IP protocols offer services
IP offers the service as a protocol between the network (inter-network), because that IP is also often referred to as a protocol that is routable

IP protocol supports multiple clients, because that IP is a "courier" carrying data that is sent by the protocols higher layer comparison.

Send data in the form of IP datagram, since it only provides the IP is connectionless data transmission service and not reliable (unreliable) to the protocols that are higher than the IP protocol.

It is independent of the network interface layer (first layer in the DARPA Reference Model), because that IP is designed to support multiple computers and network interfaces.

To support the largest frame size that is owned by the network interface layer technology is different, the IP can make towards solving the data packet into multiple fragments before placed on a network channel.

Can be expanded by using the IP Options feature in the IP header.

Source : www.wikipedia.com