IP Address Size, Address Space, and Notation
Now that you have looked at the general issues and characteristics associated with IP addresses, it's time to get past the introductions and dig into the "meat" of the IP address discussion. Let's start by looking at the physical construction and size of the IP address and how it is referred to and used.
IP Address Size and Binary Notation
At its simplest, the IP address is just a 32-bit binary number: a set of 32 ones or zeros. At their lowest levels, computers always work in binary, and this also applies to networking hardware and software. While different meanings are ascribed to different bits in the address, the address itself is just a 32-digit binary number.
People don't work too well with binary ...
Get TCP/IP Guide now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
