Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
IP addresses are assigned to a host either dynamically as they join the network, or persistently by configuration of the host hardware or software. Persistent configuration is also known as using a static IP address. In contrast, when a computer's IP address is assigned each time it restarts, this is known as using a dynamic IP address.
In the original design of IPv4, an IP address was divided into two parts: the network identifier was the most significant octet of the address, and the host identifier was the rest of the address. The latter was also called the rest field. This structure permitted a maximum of 256 network identifiers, which was quickly found to be inadequate.
This means that 256 /8 address blocks fit into the entire IPv4 space. As IPv4 address exhaustion has advanced to its final stages, some organizations, such as Stanford University , formerly using 36.0.0.0 / 8 , have returned their allocated blocks (in this case to APNIC ) to assist in the delay of the exhaustion date.
IP addressing entails the assignment of IP addresses and associated parameters to host interfaces. The address space is divided into subnets , involving the designation of network prefixes. IP routing is performed by all hosts, as well as routers , whose main function is to transport packets across network boundaries.
Since the introduction of CIDR, however, the assignment of an IP address to a network interface requires two parameters, the address and a subnet mask. Given an IPv4 source address, its associated subnet mask, and the destination address, a router can determine whether the destination is on a locally connected network or a remote network.
The IP address of the destination is used to make decisions about routing IP packets to other networks. IPv6 is the successor to the first addressing infrastructure of the Internet, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). In contrast to IPv4, which defined an IP address as a 32-bit value, IPv6 addresses have a size of 128 bits.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Network diagram with IP network addresses indicated e.g. 192.168.100.3.. A network address is an identifier for a node or host on a telecommunications network.Network addresses are designed to be unique identifiers across the network, although some networks allow for local, private addresses, or locally administered addresses that may not be unique. [1]