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IPv4

The fourth version of the Internet Protocol, using 32-bit addresses, which limits the total number of addresses to approximately 4.3 billion.

Categorynetwork

Overview

IPv4 is the most widely deployed version of the Internet Protocol. It uses a dotted-decimal notation (e.g., 172.16.254.1). Due to the growth of the internet, the pool of available IPv4 addresses has been exhausted.

Address Classes

  • Class A: Large networks (0.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255).
  • Class B: Medium networks (128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255).
  • Class C: Small networks (192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255).

Mitigation of Exhaustion

  • NAT (Network Address Translation): Allowing multiple devices to share one public IP.
  • CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing): More efficient allocation of addresses.

Related Terms

IP AddressIPv6Subnet Mask