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What is IPv4?
Last Updated : 21 Jul, 2025
IP stands for Internet Protocol version v4 stands for Version
Four (IPv4), is the most widely used system for identifying
devices on a network. It uses a set of four numbers, separated by
periods (like 192.168.0.1), to give each device a unique address.
This address helps data find its way from one device to another
over the internet.
IPv4 was the primary version brought into action for production
within the ARPANET in 1983. IP version four addresses are 32-
bit integers which will be expressed in decimal notation. Example-
192.0.2.126 could be an IPv4 address.
What is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique identifier
assigned to each device connected to a network that uses the
Internet Protocol for communication. It serves two main purposes:
Identification: It uniquely identifies a device on a network.
Location Addressing: It indicates where a device is located
within a network, making data routing possible.
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Understanding IPv4 Addressing
An IPv4 address consists of series of four eight-bit binary
numbers which are separated by decimal point. Although any
numbering system can be used to represent a unique 32- bit
number, most commonly you see IP address expressed in dot
decimal notation. Some of the examples are :
Site Dot-decimal Binary
104.244.42.12 01101000.11110100.00101010.100000
Twitter.com
9 01
151.101.65.14 10010111.01100101.01000001.100011
Reddit.com
0 00
Linkedin.co 01101100.10101110.00001010.000010
108.174.10.10
m 10
IPv4 Address Format
An IPv4 address consists of 32 bit (binary digit), grouped into four
section of known as octets or bytes. Each octet has 8 bits and
this bits can be represented only in 0 or 1 form, and when they
grouped together, they form a binary number. Since each octet
has 8 bits, it can represent 256 numbers ranging from o to 255.
These four octets are represented as decimal numbers,
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separated by periods known as dotted decimal notation. For
example IPv4 address 185.107.80.231 consists of four octets.
Binary Representation
IPv4 is basically converted into binary form by computer although
these are usually seen in decimal form for human readability.
Each octet is converted into 8 bit binary number . For
instance 185.107.80.231 in binary looks like:
185: 10111001
107: 01101011
80: 01010000
231: 11100111
So 185.107.80.231 in binary is: 10111001.01101011.01010000
IPv4 Address Format
Parts of IPv4
IPv4 addresses consist of three parts:
Network Part: The network part indicates the distinctive variety
that's appointed to the network. The network part conjointly
identifies the category of the network that's assigned.
Host Part: The host part uniquely identifies the machine on
your network. This part of the IPv4 address is assigned to
every host.
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For each host on the network, the network part is the same,
however, the host half must vary.
Subnet Number: This is the non obligatory part of IPv4. Local
networks that have massive numbers of hosts are divided into
subnets and subnet numbers are appointed to that.
Types of IPv4 Addressing
IPv4 basically supports three different types of addressing
modes:
Unicast Addressing Mode: This addressing mode is used to
specify single sender and single receiver. Example: Accessing
a website.
Broadcast Addressing Mode: This addressing mode is used
to send messages to all devices in a network. Example:
sending a message in local network to all the devices.
Multicast Addressing Mode: This addressing mode is
typically used within a local network or across networks and
sends messages to a group of devices. Example: Streaming
audio to multiple devices at once.
Characteristics of IPv4
IPv4 could be a 32-bit IP Address.
IPv4 could be a numeric address, and its bits are separated by
a dot.
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The number of header fields is twelve and the length of the
header field is twenty.
It has Unicast, broadcast, and multicast-style addresses.
IPv4 supports VLSM (Virtual Length Subnet Mask).
IPv4 uses the Post Address Resolution Protocol to map to
the MAC address.
RIP may be a routing protocol supported by the routed
daemon.
Networks ought to be designed either manually or with DHCP.
Packet fragmentation permits from routers and causes host.
Advantages of IPv4
IPv4 security permits encryption to keep up privacy and
security.
IPV4 network allocation is significant and presently has quite
85000 practical routers.
It becomes easy to attach multiple devices across an outsized
network while not NAT.
This is a model of communication so provides quality service
also as economical knowledge transfer.
IPV4 addresses are redefined and permit flawless encoding.
IPv4 has high System Management prices and it's labor-
intensive, complex, slow & prone to errors.
Routing is scalable and economical as a result of addressing
its collective more effectively.
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Data communication across the network becomes a lot of
specific in multicast organizations.
Limitations of IPv4
IP relies on network layer addresses to identify end-points on
the network, and each network has a unique IP address.
The world's supply of unique IP addresses is dwindling, and
they might eventually run out theoretically.
If there are multiple hosts, we need the IP addresses of the
next class.
Complex host and routing configuration, non-hierarchical
addressing, difficult to re-numbering addresses, large routing
tables, non-trivial implementations in providing security, QoS
(Quality of Service), mobility, and multi-homing, multicasting,
etc. are the big limitations of IPv4 so that's why IPv6 came into
the picture
RG
