IP Address: (Network Portion)
Network addresses are managed by an organization in Norfolk, Virginia recognized as InterNIC. InterNIC has been contracted by the National Science Foundation to manage the Internet addresses and domains. Network addresses are distributed to organizations that are in turn responsible for making sure all attached devices or hosts on the network are properly numbered. For more information on the network portion of an IP address, see “IP Address Structure and Class” and “Subnets” later in this appendix.
IP Address: (Host Portion)
Host addresses numerically identify specific network interfaces on an IP network. Usually a host has only one network interface; thus, only one IP address. Because no two devices can share the same number at the same time, administrators typically maintain address tables to assure correct assignment of addresses in the host network.
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