What are the groups of 8 bits in an IP address called?

In the context of an IP address, the groups of 8 bits are referred to as octets. An octet represents a single byte, which consists of 8 bits, and in an IPv4 address, there are four octets. Each octet can range from 0 to 255 and is typically represented in decimal format, separated by dots.

For example, in the IP address 192.168.1.1, each number (192, 168, 1, and 1) corresponds to an octet. The term "octet" is specifically used in networking to avoid confusion with the various data types that can also be referred to as bytes, particularly in contexts where the size of a byte might vary.

While "bytes," "segments," and "packets" are related terms in networking, they do not correctly describe the 8-bit groups within an IP address specifically. Bytes are often synonymous with octets in the context of computer memory; segments generally refer to divisions of data or pointers in various network protocols; and packets pertain to formatted units of data that are transmitted over a network. Thus, "octets" is the most precise and commonly used term in the context of IP addresses.