Which class of addresses encompasses the range of 240-255?

The range of addresses from 240 to 255 falls within Class E, which is designated for experimental or future use by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Class E addresses are not typically utilized for general networking purposes or routed on the public internet, but they are set aside for research and development, allowing for new technologies to be tested and explored without interfering with standard operation classes.

Understanding the classification of IP addresses is crucial for network design and management. Class A, B, and C addresses occupy the ranges from 1 to 126, 128 to 191, and 192 to 223 respectively, and are used for general internet and organizational addressing. Each class has a different number of available host addresses based on the division of network and host bits.

In contrast, Class E addresses, starting at 240 and going up to 255, demonstrate a unique allocation for future usage or specialized scenarios, further highlighting the significance of proper address classification in networking protocols and practices.