IP Address Classes

IP stands for the Internet Protocol address. It is basically a numerical label that is given to certain devices which are joined together in a computer network that uses the IP i.e. the Internet Protocol for communication between its nodes. An IP address performs two main functions that are host or network interface identification and location addressing. There two common versions of the Internet Protocol (IP) are being used, the IP version 4 and the IP version 6.

Now these IP addresses are further divided into separate classes and we would now discuss them, IP addresses are divided into five IP classes:

•    IP address class A
•    IP address class B
•    IP address class C
•    IP address class D
•    IP address class E

All IP addresses are positioned into a specific class based on the decimal values of its first octets. In the first octet, an IP address can start with a decimal values ranging between 1 and 255.

IP class A addresses have first octets with a decimal number from 1 to 127. Example:

37.a.b.c
121.a.b.c

IP class B addresses have first octets with a decimal number from 128 to 191.Example:

132.a.b.c
165.a.b.c

IP class C addresses have first octets with a decimal number from 192 to 223.Example:

196.a.b.c
213.a.b.c

IP class D addresses have decimal values from 224 to 239 in the first octet, and the 4 leftmost bits are 1110.Example:

234.a.b.c
237.a.b.c

The final IP address class of addresses is IP class E. IP class E addresses range from 240 to 255 in the first octet, and the 4 leftmost bits are 1111. Example:

244.a.b.c
253.a.b.c

The system of IP class addresses are made to help guarantee assignment of unique IP addresses. The four steps of getting an IP address from a DHCP server are DHCP discover DHCP offer, DHCP request, and DHCP acknowledgment.