Final answer:
Classful addressing is a method of IP address classification in traditional IP networks, which divided IP addresses into Class A, Class B, and Class C based on the first few bits of the address, indicating the network's size.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of addressing you're referring to is known as classful addressing. In traditional IP networks, classful addressing was a method to designate IP address ranges. It was based on the concept that the network portion of the address could be determined by the first few bits of the address, leading to the division into Class A, Class B, and Class C addresses. Each class had a set range of IP addresses:
- Class A was designed for very large networks with a single byte for the network portion and three bytes for host addresses.
- Class B was intended for medium-sized networks with two bytes for the network portion and two bytes for host addresses.
- Class C was meant for smaller networks with three bytes for the network portion and one byte for host addresses.
This system was eventually replaced by Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR), which allowed for more efficient allocation of IP addresses.