IPv4 Virtual Laboratory

Interactive exploration of Internet Protocol version 4. Master addressing, subnetting, and packet analysis through real-time simulation.

01. Learning Objectives

Address Structure

Understand the 32-bit IPv4 address format, dotted decimal notation, and binary representation.

Subnetting

Master CIDR notation, subnet mask calculations, network/broadcast addresses, and host ranges.

Packet Analysis

Examine IPv4 header fields, calculate header checksum, and understand fragmentation.

02. Theoretical Background

IPv4 Addressing

IPv4 addresses are 32-bit binary numbers, typically represented in dotted-decimal notation (e.g., 192.168.1.1). Each octet (8 bits) represents a decimal number from 0 to 255.

Binary to Decimal Conversion:
11000000 10101000 00000001 00000001
192 168 1 1

Address Classes

  • Class A 1.0.0.0 - 126.0.0.0 /8
  • Class B 128.0.0.0 - 191.255.0.0 /16
  • Class C 192.0.0.0 - 223.255.255.0 /24
  • Class D 224.0.0.0 - 239.255.255.255 Multicast
  • Class E 240.0.0.0 - 255.255.255.255 Reserved

Subnetting & CIDR

Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) allows flexible allocation of IP addresses. The subnet mask determines the network portion (1s) and host portion (0s) of an address.

Example: 192.168.1.0/26
11111111 11111111 11111111 11000000
Network (26 bits) Host (6 bits)
Quick Reference
/24
255.255.255.0
254 hosts
/26
255.255.255.192
62 hosts
/30
255.255.255.252
2 hosts
/16
255.255.0.0
65534 hosts

03. Interactive Laboratory

. . .
/24
/1/8/16/24/30
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
Network Address
192.168.1.0
Broadcast Address
192.168.1.255
First Usable Host
192.168.1.1
Last Usable Host
192.168.1.254
Total Hosts 256
Usable Hosts 254
Class C Private

04. Laboratory Procedure

1

IP Address Analysis

Enter various IP addresses in the Subnet Calculator. Observe how changing the CIDR prefix affects the network and host portions. Identify the class of each address (A, B, C, D, or E).

2

Binary Conversion

Use the Binary Visualizer to understand the relationship between decimal and binary representations. Toggle individual bits and observe the decimal value changes in real-time.

3

Subnetting Exercise

Given the network 192.168.10.0/24, calculate subnets for 4 departments needing 50, 25, 10, and 5 hosts respectively. Use the VLSM allocator to verify your manual calculations.

4

Packet Inspection

Construct IPv4 packets using the Packet Builder. Modify header fields and observe the hex dump changes. Calculate the header checksum manually and verify with the tool.

05. Report Guidelines

Required Sections

  • Objective and Theory Summary
  • Step-by-step Procedure
  • Observations & Screenshots
  • Calculations (Manual vs Tool)
  • Conclusion & References

Assessment Criteria

Technical Accuracy 40%
Analysis Depth 30%
Presentation 20%
Timeliness 10%

Note: Include screenshots of your subnet calculations for at least 3 different network configurations. Show your manual binary calculations for one example to demonstrate understanding.