IP Addresses
11. IP Addresses
Each TCP/IP node on a network host has a unique IP address. This address provides the
information needed to forward packets on the local network and across multiple networks if
necessary.
IP addresses are specified as
x.x.x.x
, where each x is a number from 1 to 254; for example,
192.0.1.99. The Device Server must be assigned a unique IP address to use TCP/IP
network functionality.
IP addresses contain three pieces of information: the network, the subnet, and the host.
11.1 Network Portion
The network portion of the IP address is determined by the network type: Class A, B, or C.
Table 36 - Network Portion of IP Address
Network Class
Network Portion of Address
Class A
First byte (2nd, 3rd, and 4th bytes are the host)
Class B
First 2 bytes (3rd and 4th bytes are the host)
Class C
First 3 bytes (4th byte is the host)
In most network examples, the host portion of the address is set to zero.
Table 37 - Available IP Addresses
Class Address Range
Comments
A
1.0.0.1 to 126.255.255.254
126 networks of 16,777,214 hosts
B
128.1.0.1 to 191.254.255.254
16,328 networks of 65,534 hosts
C
192.0.1.1 to 233.255.254.254
2,097,150 networks of 254 hosts
D
224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.254
Reserved for multicast groups
E
240.0.0.0 to 254.255.255.254
Reserved for experimental and future use
Consider the IP address 36.1.3.4. This address is a Class A address; therefore, the network
portion of the address is 36.0.0.0 and the host portion is 1.3.4.
11.2 Subnet Portion
The subnet portion of the IP address represents which
sub-network
the address is from.
Sub-networks are formed when an IP network is broken down into smaller networks using a
subnet mask
.
A router is required between all networks and all sub-networks. Generally, hosts can send
packets directly only to hosts on their own sub-network. All packets destined for other
subnets are sent to a router on the local network.
11.3 Host Portion
The host portion of the IP address is a unique number assigned to identify the host.
XPort™ User Manual and Development Kit
11-1