The original version of the Internet Protocol used globally
Introduction
IPv4, short for Internet Protocol version 4, is the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP). It is the most widely deployed IP used to identify devices on a network using an addressing system.
IPv4 Address Format
IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numeric addresses written in decimal as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can range from 0 to 255. Example:
192.168.1.1
Structure of IPv4 Address
Each address consists of two parts: Network ID and Host ID.
Used to route traffic within and between networks.
Subnetting divides larger networks into smaller sub-networks.
Classes of IPv4
IPv4 addresses are divided into five classes:
Class A: 1.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255 (Large organizations)
Class B: 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255 (Medium organizations)
Class C: 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255 (Small networks)
Class D: 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 (Multicast groups)
Class E: 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255 (Reserved for future use)
Why IPv4 Was Not Enough?
IPv4 supports approximately 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. With the rapid growth of internet-connected devices, this number proved insufficient, prompting the development of IPv6.