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IPv4 Address Classes

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19 views

IPv4 Address Classes

Uploaded by

shaukat JALAL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IPv4 Address Classes

IPv4, or Internet Protocol version 4, is the fourth version of the Internet


Protocol and is one of the core protocols of standards-based internetworking
methods in the Internet and other packet-switched networks.

The Five IPv4 Address Classes


IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers, typically written in decimal format as
four octets separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.1.1). These addresses are
divided into five classes: A, B, C, D, and E. Each class has a different default
subnet mask and serves different purposes.

Class A
Range: 1.0.0.0 to 126.0.0.0
Default Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
Network/Host Division: 8 bits for the network, 24 bits for the host
Usage: Class A addresses are designed for large networks with many
devices. The first octet denotes the network portion, and the remaining three
octets denote the host portion. This setup allows for up to 128 networks,
each with up to 16,777,214 hosts (2^24 - 2, excluding network and
broadcast addresses). They are typically used by large organizations and
ISPs.
Class B
Range: 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.0.0
Default Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Network/Host Division: 16 bits for the network, 16 bits for the host
Usage: Class B addresses are intended for medium-sized networks. The first
two octets represent the network portion, and the last two octets represent
the host portion. This configuration allows for 16,384 networks, each with up
to 65,534 hosts (2^16 - 2). Universities, large businesses, and governmental
organizations often use these addresses.
Class C
Range: 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.0
Default Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Network/Host Division: 24 bits for the network, 8 bits for the host
Usage: Class C addresses are suited for small networks. The first three octets
designate the network portion, and the last octet designates the host
portion. This setup permits 2,097,152 networks, each with up to 254 hosts
(2^8 - 2). Small businesses and private networks commonly use Class C
addresses.
Class D
Range: 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255
Usage: Class D addresses are reserved for multicast groups. Multicast
addresses allow a single packet to be sent to a group of hosts, making them
useful for streaming media and other applications where data needs to be
delivered to multiple recipients simultaneously. There is no subnet mask
associated with Class D, as it is not used for traditional network/host
addressing.
Class E
Range: 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255
Usage: Class E addresses are reserved for experimental purposes and future
use. They are not allocated for general use in the Internet and are typically
not seen in everyday networking operations.

Special Address Ranges


Several special ranges within these classes are reserved for specific
purposes:

Loopback Address (127.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255): Used for internal testing


on a local machine.
Private Addresses: Defined in RFC 1918, these addresses are used for
internal networks and are not routable on the public Internet.
Class A: 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
Class B: 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
Class C: 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255
APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing): 169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255,
used for self-assigned addresses when DHCP is not available.

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