Networking Notes – Notebook 3 (8 Pages)
IP Addressing and Subnetting
Page 1 – Introduction to IP Addressing
What is an IP Address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) Address is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every device
connected to a network. It allows devices to communicate with each other over local networks
and the Internet.
Why IP Addresses are Important
Identifies devices on a network.
Enables communication between devices.
Helps route data to the correct destination.
Supports Internet connectivity.
Types of IP Addresses
IPv4
IPv6
Example
IPv4: [Link]
IPv6: 2001:db8::1
Page 2 – IPv4 Address Structure
What is IPv4?
IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4) is the most widely used addressing system.
Features
32-bit address
Four decimal numbers separated by dots.
Each number ranges from 0 to 255.
Example
[Link]
Parts of an IPv4 Address
Network ID – Identifies the network.
Host ID – Identifies the device.
Binary Representation
[Link]
11000000.10101000.00000001.00001010
Maximum IPv4 Addresses
Approximately 4.3 billion addresses.
Page 3 – IP Address Classes
IPv4 addresses are divided into five classes.
Class First Octet Default Mask Usage
A 1–126 [Link] Large Networks
B 128–191 [Link] Medium Networks
C 192–223 [Link] Small Networks
D 224–239 N/A Multicasting
E 240–255 N/A Research
Commonly Used
Class A
Class B
Class C
Page 4 – Subnet Mask and Subnetting
What is a Subnet Mask?
A subnet mask separates the network portion from the host portion of an IP address.
Common Subnet Masks
Prefix Subnet Mask
/8 [Link]
/16 [Link]
/24 [Link]
/25 [Link]
/26 [Link]
Why Subnetting?
Better network management.
Reduces broadcast traffic.
Improves security.
Efficient IP address usage.
Page 5 – Private and Public IP Addresses
Private IP Address
Used inside local networks and cannot be accessed directly from the Internet.
Private IP Ranges
[Link] – [Link]
[Link] – [Link]
[Link] – [Link]
Public IP Address
Assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is accessible over the Internet.
Example
Public: [Link]
Private: [Link]
Page 6 – IPv6 Addressing
What is IPv6?
IPv6 was developed to solve the shortage of IPv4 addresses.
Features
128-bit address.
Written in hexadecimal.
Supports a massive number of addresses.
Better security and efficiency.
Example
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Advantages
Huge address space.
Improved routing.
Built-in IPsec support.
Simplified address configuration.
Page 7 – CIDR and DHCP
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing)
CIDR uses prefix notation instead of traditional IP classes.
Examples
[Link]/24
[Link]/8
[Link]/16
Benefits
Efficient IP allocation.
Reduces routing table size.
Supports flexible subnetting.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
DHCP automatically assigns:
IP Address
Subnet Mask
Default Gateway
DNS Server
Benefits
Reduces manual configuration.
Prevents IP conflicts.
Simplifies network management.
Page 8 – Summary and Practice
Important Terms
IP Address
IPv4
IPv6
Subnet Mask
Network ID
Host ID
Private IP
Public IP
CIDR
DHCP
Quick Comparison
Feature IPv4 IPv6
Address Length 32-bit 128-bit
Format Decimal Hexadecimal
Address Space 4.3 Billion 340 Undecillion
NAT Required Yes (often) Usually No
Quick Review
An IP address uniquely identifies a device on a network.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, while IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses.
A subnet mask separates the network and host portions of an IP address.
Private IP addresses are used within local networks.
Public IP addresses are accessible on the Internet.
CIDR provides flexible IP address allocation.
DHCP automatically assigns network configuration to devices.