Class C Network Numbers

Class C network numbers use 24 bits for the network number and 8 bits for host numbers. Class C network numbers are appropriate for networks with few hosts--the maximum being 254. A class C network number occupies the first three bytes of an IP address. Only the fourth byte is assigned at the discretion of the network owners. Figure 3-4 graphically represents the bytes in a class C address.

Figure 3-4 Byte Assignment in a Class C Address

The first byte of a class C network number covers the range 192-223. The second and third each cover the range 1- 255. A typical class C address might be 192.5.2.5. The first three bytes, 192.5.2, form the network number. The final byte in this example, 5, is the host number.