IP CONFIGURATION

An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

The designers of the Internet Protocol defined an IP address as a 32-bit number known as Internet Protocol Version4 (IPv4), is still in use today.

IP addresses are binary numbers, but they are usually stored in text files and displayed in human-readable notations, such as 172.16.254.1 (for IPv4).

IP ADDRESS

An IP address is composed of two parts: the network ID and the host ID

The network ID represents the network on which the computer is located

The host ID represents the individual computer on a network

IP ADDRESS

An IP addresses has four numbers, each called an octet, that are separated by periods

Each octet in an IP address represents eight bits of information

A full IP address of four octets is 32 bits long

IP ADDRESS

A subnet mask defines which part of its IP address is the network ID and which part is the host ID

Subnet masks are composed of four octets just like an IP address

SUBNET MASKS

If there is a 255 in the subnet mask, it indicates that the octet is a part of the network ID.

If there is a 0 in the subnet mask, it indicates that the octet is a part of the host ID

SUBNET MASKS

A computer uses its subnet mask to determine◦Which network it is on◦Whether other computers are on the

same network or a different network If two computers on the same network are

communicating, then they can deliver packets directly to each other

If two computers are on different networks, they must use a router to communicate

SUBNET MASKS

SUBNET MASKS

Default gateway is another term for router It is usually the IP address of the router to

which the computer network is connected If a computer does not know how to

deliver a packet, it gives the packet to the default gateway to deliver

DEFAULT GATEWAY

IP addresses are divided into five classes: A-E

IP address classes can be identified by the first octet

Class A addresses use eight bits for the network ID and 24 bits for the host ID

Class A networks are only assigned to very large companies and Internet providers

Class B addresses use 16 bits for the network ID and 16 bits for the host ID

Class B networks are assigned to many larger organizations, such as governments, universities, and companies with several thousand users

IP ADDRESS CLASSES

Class C addresses use 24 bits for the network ID and eight bits for the host ID

Class C networks have a relatively small number of hosts and are suited only to smaller organizations

Class D addresses are not divided into networks and they cannot be assigned to computers as IP addresses

Class D addresses are used for multicasting Class E addresses are considered

experimental and are not used

IP ADDRESS CLASSES

IP ADDRESS CLASSES

Using IPCONFIG to View IP Configuration To find user’s computer’s IP address: At the command prompt, type ipconfig,

and then press Enter.