Class B IP addresses are a range of IP addresses within the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addressing system. Class B addresses are one of the three major address classes, with Class A and Class C addresses being the other two. Class B addresses are often associated with medium to large-sized networks due to their address space that falls between the more extensive Class A and smaller Class C address ranges.
In a Class B IP address, the first two bits of the first octet are always set to “10,” which means the range of Class B addresses begins with 10. This leaves 14 bits for network identification, allowing for a total of 2^14, or 16,384 possible Class B networks. The remaining 16 bits in the IP address are available for host addresses within each network.
The Class B IP address format is represented as follows:
N.N.H.H- N: Network portion (16 bits)
- H: Host portion (16 bits)
The range of Class B IP addresses can be expressed as follows:
- From 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255
Class B addresses offer a substantial address space, making them suitable for organizations that require a moderate to large number of IP addresses for their networks. These addresses can accommodate tens of thousands of host addresses within each Class B network, making them versatile for various applications.
Class B addresses have been widely used in the past, but, like all IPv4 address classes, they have faced depletion due to the rapid growth of the internet and the increasing number of connected devices. As a result, efficient IP address allocation and the adoption of IPv6 have become essential strategies for managing the limited pool of available IPv4 addresses.