Classful Addressing in Networking
Overview
An IP address in the IPv4 protocol consists of 32 bits, divided into 4 8-bit octets. Each
IP address includes:
• A network portion that identifies the network.
• A host portion that identifies the individual devices within the network.
Classful addressing divides the address space into five classes: A, B, C, D, and E.
Classes A, B, and C are used for unicast (host-to-host) communication, Class D is used
for multicast, and Class E is reserved for experimental purposes.
To determine the number of networks and hosts:
• Fix the network identification bits and calculate permutations and combinations of
the remaining bits in the network octets to get the count of networks.
• Exclude the network bits and calculate permutations and combinations of the host
octet bits to determine the count of hosts.
• Subtract 2 from the calculated host count to exclude the reserved network and
broadcast addresses.
The Five Classes
Class A
• Range: 0.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255
• Default Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0 (/8)
• Number of Networks: 27 = 128 (excluding reserved addresses, 0 and 127)
• Number of Hosts per Network: 224 − 2 = 16, 777, 214
• Purpose: Designed for very large networks, such as multinational corporations.
Why Subtract 2: One address is reserved for the network identifier (e.g., 10.0.0.0),
and one for the broadcast address (e.g., 10.255.255.255). If data is sent to a broadcast
address, all devices in the network receive the packet.
Structure and Representation:
1
• The first bit of the address is always 0. The remaining 7 bits in the first octet
represent the network portion, and the remaining 24 bits represent the host portion.
• Example in Binary: 00000000.00000000.00000000.00000000
Field Bits Purpose
Network 7 bits Identifies the network
Host 24 bits Identifies devices in the network
Class B
• Range: 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255
• Default Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 (/16)
• Number of Networks: 214 = 16, 384
• Number of Hosts per Network: 216 − 2 = 65, 534
• Purpose: Intended for medium-sized networks, such as universities and enterprises.
Why Subtract 2: As with Class A, the network and broadcast addresses are re-
served.
Structure and Representation:
• The first two bits of the address are always 10. The remaining 14 bits in the first
two octets represent the network portion, and the last 16 bits represent the host
portion.
• Example in Binary: 10000000.00000000.00000000.00000000
Field Bits Purpose
Network 14 bits Identifies the network
Host 16 bits Identifies devices in the network
Class C
• Range: 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255
• Default Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 (/24)
• Number of Networks: 221 = 2, 097, 152
• Number of Hosts per Network: 28 − 2 = 254
• Purpose: Suited for small networks, such as individual offices or homes.
Why Subtract 2: The first and last addresses are reserved for network and broadcast
purposes, respectively.
Structure and Representation:
• The first three bits of the address are always 110. The next 21 bits represent the
network portion, and the remaining 8 bits represent the host portion.
2
• Example in Binary: 11000000.00000000.00000000.00000000
Field Bits Purpose
Network 21 bits Identifies the network
Host 8 bits Identifies devices in the network
Class D
• Range: 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255
• Purpose: Reserved for multicast addressing, where data is sent to multiple hosts
simultaneously.
Structure and Representation:
• The first four bits of the address are always 1110. There is no network or host
division, as these addresses are not assigned to specific devices.
• Example in Binary: 11100000.00000000.00000000.00000000
Class E
• Range: 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255
• Purpose: Experimental and reserved for future use. Not intended for public use.
Structure and Representation:
• The first four bits are 1111. These addresses are not currently utilized.
• Example in Binary: 11110000.00000000.00000000.00000000
Reserved Addresses
Certain IP addresses within each class are reserved for specific purposes:
• Private IP Addresses:
– 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
• Loopback Addresses:
– 127.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255 (used for diagnostics and testing within a host).
– If you send data to 127.x.x.x, it remains within the local machine.
– For example: 127.0.0.1 is localhost.
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Advantages of Classful Addressing
1. Simplicity: Predefined address classes make it easy to understand and implement.
2. Compatibility: It was the standard
Disadvantages of Classful Addressing
1. Inefficient Use of IP Space:
• Large networks (Class A and B) often wasted addresses due to their vast host
capacity.
2. Lack of Flexibility:
• No support for Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM), making it rigid for
network design.
3. Exhaustion of Address Space:
• Limited availability of Class A and B addresses contributed to the rapid de-
pletion of IPv4 addresses.
Transition to Classless Addressing
Classful addressing has largely been replaced by Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR).
CIDR removes the rigid class-based structure, enabling more flexible and efficient IP
allocation. It introduces subnet masks of arbitrary lengths, which helps conserve address
space.
