IP address

IP address
  • The Internet Protocol (IP) address identifies each node on the IP network (or system of connected networks). Each TCP/IP node on a network (including the Ethernet module) must have a unique IP address.
  • The IP address is 32 bits long and consists of a net ID part and a host ID part. Each network is a Class A, Class B, or Class C network. The class of a network determines how an IP address is formatted.
  • Each node on the same physical network must have an IP address of the same class and must have the same net ID. Each node on the same network must have a different host ID, thereby giving it a unique IP address.
  • IP addresses are written as four decimal integers separated by periods (i.e., xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx), where each integer (or xxx) is a number between 0 and 255 which gives the value of one byte of the IP address.
  • The first octet of the IP Address may not be 127, or a number greater than 223.
For example, the 32-bit IP address:
00000011 00000000 00000000 00000001 is written as 3.0.0.1.
Distinguish the class of an IP address from the first integer in its dotted-decimal IP address as follows:
Range of first integer
Class of network
0 - 127
A
128 - 191
B
192 - 223
C
224 - 255
other
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