Classful Network

A Classful Network is an older method of organizing IP addresses into fixed categories—Classes A, B, and C—based on their initial bits. Each class has a specific range of addresses and default network sizes, making it easier for early internet infrastructure to allocate addresses. Class A supports large networks with many devices, Class B suits medium-sized networks, and Class C is for smaller ones. While once common, this system has mostly been replaced by Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR), which allows more flexible and efficient IP address allocation.