How many possible hosts are available in a Class A network?

In a Class A network, the first octet of the IP address ranges from 1 to 126, which allows for a vast number of potential networks. Each Class A network has a default subnet mask of 255.0.0.0 (or /8), meaning that the first 8 bits address the network part, while the remaining 24 bits are available for host addresses.

To calculate the number of possible hosts in a Class A network, we start with the 24 bits available for hosts. The formula for calculating the number of hosts is (2^n - 2), where (n) represents the number of bits available for host addresses. The subtraction of 2 accounts for the network address (all zeros) and the broadcast address (all ones) which cannot be assigned to individual hosts.

Using this formula:

• (n = 24)

• (2^{24} - 2 = 16,777,216 - 2 = 16,777,214)

Thus, the total number of usable hosts in a Class A network is typically referred to as approximately 16.7 million. This substantial number highlights the Class A network's capacity, making it suitable for very large