{"id":2885,"date":"2024-11-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2025-12-22T13:21:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T21:21:31","slug":"ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"IP Address Format: Everything You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet as we know it today stands on a foundation of numbers, specifically IP addresses. These addresses are the identifiers that let devices find and communicate with each other across the globe. In this blog, you\u2019ll learn the IP address format of different <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/types-of-ip-address-functions-and-uses-of-different-ips\/\">types of IP addresses<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s begin by understanding what those types are.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image showing multiple IP addresses on a computer screen.\" class=\"wp-image-2888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5-1568x1046.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_129353764_L-5.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Generation_of_IP_Addresses\" >Generation of IP Addresses<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#1_Internet_Protocol_Version_4_IPv4\" >1. Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#2_Internet_Protocol_Version_6_IPv6\" >2. Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_Are_IP_Addresses_Formatted\" >How Are IP Addresses Formatted?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#IP_Address_Format_for_IPv4\" >IP Address Format for IPv4<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#IP_Address_Format_for_IPv6\" >IP Address Format for IPv6<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Subnetting_and_CIDR_Notation_of_IP_Address_Format\" >Subnetting and CIDR Notation of IP Address Format<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Subnetting_in_IPv4\" >Subnetting in IPv4&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Subnetting_in_IPv6\" >Subnetting in IPv6<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Geolocate_IPs_With_GeoPlugin\" >Geolocate IPs With GeoPlugin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_many_bits_is_an_IP_address\" >How many bits is an IP address?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#What_is_the_IPv4_address_format\" >What is the IPv4 address format?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/#What_is_the_format_for_IPv6\" >What is the format for IPv6?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Generation_of_IP_Addresses\"><\/span>Generation of IP Addresses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As more and more devices have come online over the years, the demand for these unique <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/how-accurate-is-ip-address-location-top-factors-revealed\/\">IP addresses<\/a> has skyrocketed. The strain put by this surge is where the generation of IP addresses comes into play.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, there have been two generations of IP addresses, both of which have a unique IP address format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"627\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-1024x627.jpg\" alt=\"Image showing a list of words used in the IP addressing context with IP address types IPv4 and IPv6 highlighted.\" class=\"wp-image-2890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-1024x627.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-1536x941.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2-1568x960.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_23947893_L-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Internet_Protocol_Version_4_IPv4\"><\/span>1. Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IPv4 was born in the early days of the internet, and it\u2019s the most familiar version of IP addressing. Even today, it handles a significant portion of global internet traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IPv4\">IPv4 address<\/a> looks like this: <strong>192.168.0.1<\/strong>, four groups of numbers with three dots separating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, what does &#8220;<strong>32-bit<\/strong>&#8221; mean? Essentially, a 32-bit address means that there are <strong>2^32<\/strong> possible combinations, that\u2019s <strong>4,294,967,296<\/strong> unique addresses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, a lot of these are reserved for specific uses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, about 18 million addresses are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/non-routing-ip-addresses-definition-importance-and-more\/\">private IP addresses<\/a>, and another 270 million are for multicast addresses. The rest of the address range is spread out across the globe for public use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the rapid growth of internet-connected devices, especially mobile phones and IoT gadgets, the IPv4 pool of addresses started running dry. The internet needed a solution, and that\u2019s where IPv6 comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Internet_Protocol_Version_6_IPv6\"><\/span>2. Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To address the growing demand for IP addresses, the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_Assigned_Numbers_Authority\">IANA<\/a> had to introduce <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IPv6\">the IPv6 addressing system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IPv6 is a much more robust system, with 128-bit addresses, giving us a nearly infinite supply of unique addresses. Just to give you an idea, IPv6 offers around 340 undecillion addresses (that\u2019s <strong>2^128<\/strong>!).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s an example of what an IPv6 address looks like:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This massive range of IPv6 addresses ensures that we won\u2019t run into an address shortage anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Image showing IPv4 type of IP Address written on a screen with a human hand clicking on it.\" class=\"wp-image-2892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L-1568x1045.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_127248252_L.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Are_IP_Addresses_Formatted\"><\/span>How Are IP Addresses Formatted?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s break down the IP Address Format of each of these IP versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IP_Address_Format_for_IPv4\"><\/span>IP Address Format for IPv4<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IPv4 address format consists of four 8-bit octets, which makes 32 bits in total. These octets have a dot between them, meaning there are three dots in an IPv4 address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a typical IPv4 address looks like this: <strong>192.168.0.1<\/strong>. This is called dot-decimal notation because the octets are decimal numbers (ranging from 0 to 255).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But behind these familiar decimal numbers lies binary. The binary representation of each octet takes eight bits (1s and 0s). Here\u2019s how the binary representation of <strong>192.168.0.1<\/strong> would look:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>11000000.10101000.00000000.00000001<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L-1568x1045.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Depositphotos_93759944_L.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IP_Address_Format_for_IPv6\"><\/span>IP Address Format for IPv6<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IPv6 has two different IP address formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An IPv6 address in its pure form consists of eight segments of four hexadecimal digits with colons separating them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A hexadecimal digit can be any value between 0 and F. So, an IPv6 address could look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a lot of numbers, but to make it readable, this format for IP addresses allows a shorthand notation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leading zeros are removable from each segment, e.g., <strong>0001<\/strong> becomes just <strong>1<\/strong>. And if two or more consecutive segments are zero, you can replace them with a double colon<strong>::<\/strong>. So, the address above can be shortened to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This makes it a bit easier to handle, especially when you\u2019re dealing with addresses that have lots of zeros. For instance, an IPv6 address where the last six segments are zeros could look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>2001:0db8::<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or, an address with nothing but zeros (which usually means it&#8217;s an unspecified address) would be written as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>::<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aside from the pure IPv6 address format, there\u2019s also a hybrid model that combines IPv6 with embedded IPv4 addresses. Networks that still need to handle both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic usually rely on this address format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In dual addresses, the first six segments follow the IPv6 format, and the last four numbers are IPv4 addresses. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:192.168.1.1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the IPv6 portion is all zeros, you get something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>::192.168.1.1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"972\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IP-Address-in-dotted-decimal-notation.png\" alt=\"Image showing IP address in dotted decimal notation.\" class=\"wp-image-2896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IP-Address-in-dotted-decimal-notation.png 972w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IP-Address-in-dotted-decimal-notation-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IP-Address-in-dotted-decimal-notation-768x362.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 972px) 100vw, 972px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subnetting_and_CIDR_Notation_of_IP_Address_Format\"><\/span>Subnetting and CIDR Notation of IP Address Format<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Subnetting is a process of splitting an IP address format into two parts. One part identifies the network, and the other part identifies a specific device (or host) on that network.<br><br>The public IP address of devices in a network that route their traffic outside the network is the same. However, their private IP addresses are different to maintain a unique identity within the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Subnetting-IPv4-address.png\" alt=\"Image showing the concept of subnetting in IPv4 addresses. It also shows the before and after results of subnetting an IPv4 address.\" class=\"wp-image-2898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Subnetting-IPv4-address.png 800w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Subnetting-IPv4-address-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Subnetting-IPv4-address-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subnetting_in_IPv4\"><\/span>Subnetting in IPv4&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IPv4 divides its address space into classes: A, B, C, D, and E. Each of these classes has a different way of splitting the network and host portions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Class A addresses<\/strong> use the first 8 bits for the network and the remaining 24 bits for the host. An example of a Class A IP address could be <strong>10.0.0.1<\/strong>, where &#8220;<strong>10<\/strong>&#8221; is the network part and &#8220;<strong>0.0.1<\/strong>&#8221; is the host part.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Class B<\/strong> uses the first 16 bits for the network and the other 16 for the host. A Class B example might be <strong>172.16.0.1<\/strong>, where &#8220;<strong>172.16<\/strong>&#8221; represents the network, and &#8220;<strong>0.1<\/strong>&#8221; is the host.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Class C<\/strong> uses 24 bits for the network and 8 bits for the host. So, something like <strong>192.168.1.1<\/strong> would be a Class C IP, with &#8220;<strong>192.168.1<\/strong>&#8221; as the network and &#8220;<strong>1<\/strong>&#8221; as the host.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can be difficult to identify network and host bits just by looking at the IP address. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Classless_Inter-Domain_Routing\">Classless Inter-Domain Routing<\/a> (CIDR) solves this problem. It specifies how many bits belong to the network part using a slash notation, like <strong>\/24<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>192.168.1.0\/24 (first 24 bits \u2018<strong>192.168.1<\/strong>\u2019 specify the network)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10.0.0.0\/8 (first 8 bits are network)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>172.16.0.0\/16 (first 16 bits are network)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"716\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IPv6-multicast-1.png\" alt=\"Image showing an IPv6 multicast address structure.\" class=\"wp-image-2900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IPv6-multicast-1.png 716w, https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IPv6-multicast-1-300x55.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subnetting_in_IPv6\"><\/span>Subnetting in IPv6<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In most cases, the first 64 bits specify the network part, and the remaining 64 bits specify individual network devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The more common term for CIDR notation in IPv6 is the prefix length.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, in 2001:db8:abcd:0012::\/64, the prefix length of 64 tells that the network has 64 subnets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can tweak the prefix length to make smaller subnets. For instance, 2001:db8:abcd:0012::\/80 means that now 80 bits make the network, and the rest identify devices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Geolocate_IPs_With_GeoPlugin\"><\/span>Geolocate IPs With GeoPlugin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Besides simply identifying the network and host, device IPs can also reveal their geographic location if you use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/ip-geolocation-api\" title=\"\">IP geolocation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your business requires geolocation, GeoPlugin is a reputable service to count on. It can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/geolocation-accuracy-top-factors-affecting-data-quality\/\">perform geolocation<\/a> on any IP address format and give you the correct location details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/\">try GeoPlugin today<\/a> and geolocate IPs like a pro!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\"><h3 class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_bits_is_an_IP_address\"><\/span>How many bits is an IP address?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An IPv4 address is 32 bits long, while an IPv6 address is 128 bits long. This length difference allows IPv6 to offer a larger pool of addresses.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\"><h3 class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_IPv4_address_format\"><\/span>What is the IPv4 address format?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPv4 address format consists of four 8-bit numbers (octets) separated by dots, each ranging from 0 to 255 (e.g., 192.168.1.1). The dotted-decimal format makes it easier to read.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\"><h3 class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_format_for_IPv6\"><\/span>What is the format for IPv6?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPv6 format consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). It also supports short-form notations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The internet as we know it today stands on a foundation of numbers, specifically IP addresses. These addresses are the identifiers that let devices find and communicate with each other across the globe. In this blog, you\u2019ll learn the IP address format of different types of IP addresses. So, let\u2019s begin by understanding what those&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/ip-address-format-everything-you-need-to-know\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">IP Address Format: Everything You Need To Know<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-development","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2885"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4199,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2885\/revisions\/4199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geoplugin.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}