RFC 796 (rfc796) - Page 1 of 7


Address mappings



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                          J. Postel
Request for Comments:  796                                           ISI
Replaces: IEN 115                                         September 1981
                            ADDRESS MAPPINGS
                            ----------------


Internet Addresses
------------------

   This memo describes the relationship between address fields used in
   the Internet Protocol (IP) [1] and several specific networks.

   An internet address is a 32 bit quantity, with several codings as
   shown below.

   The first type (or class a) of address has a 7-bit network number and
   a 24-bit local address.

                           1                   2                   3    
       0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
      |0|   NETWORK   |                Local Address                  |
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                             Class A Address

   The second type (or class b) of address has a 14-bit network number
   and a 16-bit local address.

                           1                   2                   3   
       0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
      |1 0|           NETWORK         |          Local Address        |
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                             Class B Address

   The third type (or class c) of address has a 21-bit network number
   and a 8-bit local address.

                           1                   2                   3   
       0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
      |1 1 0|                    NETWORK              | Local Address |
      +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

                             Class C Address

   The local address carries information to address a host in the
   network identified by the network number.  Since each network has a



Postel