IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4)

Learn more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv4
Content adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0

Fragmentation – The process of breaking a large IPv4 packet into smaller fragments so it can traverse networks with smaller Maximum Transmission Units (MTUs). Each fragment carries identification, offset, and flags to allow proper reassembly.

Subnetting – The practice of dividing an IPv4 network into smaller, logical subnetworks. This helps optimize address allocation, improves routing efficiency, and enhances security and management.

CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) – A method introduced to replace traditional classful addressing. CIDR uses variable-length subnet masking (VLSM) to represent networks more flexibly, conserving IPv4 address space.

NAT (Network Address Translation) – A technique that modifies IPv4 packet headers (source/destination addresses) to allow multiple devices within a private network to share a single public IP, improving address efficiency and security.

Broadcast Address – A reserved IPv4 address used to send data packets to all hosts within a subnet. For example, in subnet 192.168.1.0/24, the broadcast address is 192.168.1.255.