Which statement about IP addresses is true?

Which statement about IP addresses is true?

• A. The first part specifies the network and the next part specifies the individual node.
• B. All parts specify the same thing.
• C. The last part is the network, the first is the host.
• D. IPs do not have a hierarchical structure.

Answer: (A)

IP addresses are designed with a hierarchy: part of the address identifies the network, and the remaining part identifies the specific device on that network. This setup lets routers forward a packet toward the correct network first, then deliver it to the exact host within that network using the host portion. For example, with an IPv4 address like 192.168.4.7 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the network part is 192.168.4 and the host part is 7. The network portion guides routing toward the right network, and the host portion specifies the exact device on that network. That’s why the statement describing the first part as the network and the next part as the individual node is true. The other ideas don’t fit: IPs aren’t structured so that all parts mean the same thing, the last part isn’t the network, and IPs do have a hierarchical structure to support scalable routing.

IP addresses are designed with a hierarchy: part of the address identifies the network, and the remaining part identifies the specific device on that network. This setup lets routers forward a packet toward the correct network first, then deliver it to the exact host within that network using the host portion.

For example, with an IPv4 address like 192.168.4.7 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the network part is 192.168.4 and the host part is 7. The network portion guides routing toward the right network, and the host portion specifies the exact device on that network.

That’s why the statement describing the first part as the network and the next part as the individual node is true. The other ideas don’t fit: IPs aren’t structured so that all parts mean the same thing, the last part isn’t the network, and IPs do have a hierarchical structure to support scalable routing.