How many possible hosts can a Class B network accommodate?

A Class B network is defined by its subnet mask, which is typically 255.255.0.0, allowing for a range of IP addresses. In a Class B network, the first two octets (16 bits) are used for the network portion, while the last two octets (16 bits) are designated for host addresses. This means that you have 2^16 total addresses available for hosts, which equals 65,536.

However, two of these addresses are reserved: one for the network address (the first IP address) and one for the broadcast address (the last IP address). Therefore, the number of usable host addresses is 65,536 - 2 = 65,534. Despite the reservation of the two addresses, the total number of possible addresses that a Class B network can accommodate remains 65,536, confirming that the choice stating this number is correct.

In summary, a Class B network can accommodate a total of 65,536 addresses, catering to a substantial number of hosts. This capacity makes Class B suitable for medium to large-sized networks.