What is the best way of validating an IP Address?

Question

I have a method to validate a parameter IP Address. Being new to development as a whole I would like to know if there is a better way of doing this.

Answer 1

You can process like that it it is either an ipv4 or ipv6:

    public static string CheckIPValid(string strIP)
    {
        //IPAddress result = null;
        //return !String.IsNullOrEmpty(strIP) && IPAddress.TryParse(strIP, out result);
        IPAddress address;
        if (IPAddress.TryParse(strIP, out address))
        {
            switch (address.AddressFamily)
            {
                case System.Net.Sockets.AddressFamily.InterNetwork:
                    // we have IPv4
                    return "ipv4";
                //break;
                case System.Net.Sockets.AddressFamily.InterNetworkV6:
                    // we have IPv6
                    return "ipv6";
                //break;
                default:
                    // umm... yeah... I'm going to need to take your red packet and...
                    return null;
                    //break;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }