Classes of IPv4 addresses
Who determines which IPv4 address can be assigned to our internal devices, and those that are directly connected to, or facing, the internet? When the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) became entrusted with the management of IP addresses, a portion of IPv4 addresses were made to be used on the internet and on the devices that are directly connected to the internet. Meanwhile, another portion was assigned to be strictly usable only on internal networks, such as a home network or within an organization.
In IPv4, there are two address spaces. These are as follows:
- Public IPv4 address space
- Private IPv4 address space
In the following sections, we will discuss each address spaces in further detail, describing the characteristics and uses of both public and private IP addresses.
Public IPv4 address space
We will first discuss the characteristics of the public IPv4 space. IANA has divided IP addresses into five classes. Each...
