What 172 represents in ip address?

In an IP address, "172" typically refers to the first octet of a private IP address range defined by the internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Specifically, the range 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 is designated for private networks, meaning that these addresses are not routable on the public internet and are used for internal networking purposes. This allows organizations to create their own local networks without using globally unique public IP addresses.