How many IP addresses are allowed in a Class A network?

In a Class A network, the first octet of the IP address is reserved for the network identification, while the remaining three octets are used for host addresses. A Class A address is structured such that the first bit is always set to 0, which means that the range of possible addresses starts from 0.

Given that a Class A network uses the first octet for identifying the network, the remaining 24 bits (from the three additional octets, each with 8 bits) are available for host addresses. Therefore, the number of possible host addresses in a Class A network can be calculated as 2 raised to the power of the number of bits available for hosting, which in this case is 24.

Thus, the total number of possible IP addresses in a Class A network is 2^24. This calculation accounts for each unique combination of the 24 bits available for hosts. However, it’s important to note that not all of these addresses can be assigned to hosts due to reserved addresses—specifically, one for the network address and one for the broadcast address.

This understanding of the Class A addressing scheme clarifies why 2^24 is the correct representation of how many IP addresses are allowed in a Class