IP Addresses - Class Range

IP Address is a unique identification given to Host, network device, server

for data communication. Ip Address stand for Internet Protocol address,
it is an addressing scheme used to identify a system on a network. It is a
unique address that certain electronic devices currently use to
communicate with each other on a network using internet protocol.

IP Version 4

IPV4 is a 32 bit number represented in 4 decimal numbers, where each

decimal number is of 8 bit (an octet), where each octet is separated by a
dot in between. Thus the representation is known as Dotted Decimal
Notation. An IPV4 address is divided into 2 parts viz., Network ID and
Host ID. It allows 2^32 addresses. IPV4 has Unicast, Broadcast &
Multicast addresses. Routing Protocols that supports IPV4 addressing are
RIPV1, V2, IGRP, OSPF & EIGRP.

IP Version 6

IPV6 is of 128 bits represented in 8 combinations of 4 hexa decimal

numbers each, separated by a colon. Hence IPV6 is called a 16-bit
Hexadecimal Colon-delimited Block. In IPV4, we borrowed bits from Host
ID - to increase the number of networks and to reduce the wastage of IP
address. IPV4 is of 32 bits (232) = 4.3 million IP addresses. With all the
reserved IPs left over usable IP addresses are 250 million; out of which
10% are in use. The class B addresses are already exhausted, whereas
class A and C IP addresses are still available; but officially by 2008 all IP
addresses are dieing.

Since IPV6 provides us with more number of addresses when compared to

IPV4 i.e., IPV6 supports 2128(about 3.41038) addresses, or
approximately 51028 addresses for each of the 6.5 billion people alive
today.

IP Addresses can be classified into five classes A, B, C, D and E. Each

class consists of a contiguous subset of the overall IPv4 address range.

Range Private address range

Class A 0-126 10.0.0.0 to

10.255.255.255
Class B 128-191
172.16.0.0
 Class C 192-223 172.31.255.255

Class D 224-239 192.168.0.0

192.168.255.255
Class E 240-255

IP Class Range

Address Range Supports

Class

Supports 16 million hosts on each of 127

Class A 1.0.0.1 to 126.255.255.254
networks.

Supports 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000

Class B 128.1.0.1 to 191.255.255.254
networks.

Class C 192.0.1.1 to 223.255.254.254 Supports 254 hosts on each of 2 million networks.

Class D 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 Reserved for multicast groups.

Reserved for future use, or Research and

Class E 240.0.0.0 to 254.255.255.254
Development Purposes.

APIPA Automatic Private IP Address : 169.254.0.0 169.254.255.255