Which type of IP address can be routed over the internet?

Public IP addresses can be routed over the internet because they are assigned to devices connected directly to the internet and are unique across the entire network. This means that entities using public IP addresses can communicate and send data to any other device on the internet without requiring additional translations or routing protocols. Public IP addresses are essential for web servers, email servers, and any other services intended to be reachable from outside a local network.

In contrast, private IP addresses are reserved for use within private networks and cannot be routed over the internet. They are typically used for internal communication within organizations and require Network Address Translation (NAT) to communicate with external networks. Reserved IP addresses refer to specific ranges predefined for certain uses, and while they may have specific routing characteristics, they do not imply general routability over the internet. Static IP addresses, while they can be public, are a descriptor of how an IP address is assigned rather than a characteristic that determines whether it can be routed over the internet. Only public IP addresses fulfill the requirement for routability on the global internet.