What is the difference between a Network and Host?

[Berryracer]

I googled it but still didn't find any good answers that are easy to understand.

Can someone please explain this in layman's terms I am studying my Network + course but I'm a bit confused about this

 

[Fardringle]

A host is a computer or other device that other devices can connect to for access to resources (files) or services (web site/email/database/etc). A network is a collection of computers, cables, routers, switches and other devices that are connected together to access and share resources.

 

[Berryracer]

A host is a computer or other device that other devices can connect to for access to resources (files) or services (web site/email/database/etc). A network is a collection of computers, cables, routers, switches and other devices that are connected together to access and share resources.

So when we say a host IP we mean an individual IP of one of the computers on a network? like a host IP can be:

192.168.1.7 / 255.255.255.0

and the Network IP would be here 192.168.1.1 ?

pls correct me if im wrong

 

[JackMDS]

Network in general does not have an IP.

It does have subnet number which is the first 3 groups of the IP number.

Following your example the Subnet of the Network is 192.168.1.x

Each device on the Network has its own unique IP number (the x in the end).

x can be a number from 0 to 255.

Device means Computers (any kind), Router, Game Box, Wireless printer, Network camera, Network stand-alone Drives etc.

 

[aarodav1]

Are you talking about the network identifier IP? Each subnet has two IP addresses that can't be assigned to an actual device (a host), which include the first and last IP addresses in the subnet range. The last IP (.255 in your example) is called the broadcast address. Basically, if a host sends something to this address, the router will forward it to everything else on that subnet, and that subnet only. The first IP (.0 in your example) is called the network identifier and is used to identify the subnet. You can't actually give a host on the network that IP though.

 

[Railgun]

It does have subnet number which is the first 3 groups of the IP number.

Or first 2, or the first one...or all four.

That does not define the subnet, the mask does.

 

[mammador]

A host is any device from which information can be sent or received. So a camera, a server, a laptop/desktop, a printer, etc.

A network is the sum of all transmitting devices within given subnet(s).

So when we say a host IP we mean an individual IP of one of the computers on a network? like a host IP can be:

192.168.1.7 / 255.255.255.0

and the Network IP would be here 192.168.1.1 ?

pls correct me if im wrong

192.168.1.7 would be the host IP (,i.e. of an individual device). The next figure you listed is a subnet mask, which denotes which bytes comprise the network and which comprise the hosts. Your subnet mask is of a /24 network, meaning that of the 32 bytes used used in an IPv4 address, 16 identify the network and 8 identify the host.

The Network IP would really be 192.168.1.0. You've identified the router's IP address.

 

[unokitty]

I googled it but still didn't find any good answers that are easy to understand.

Can someone please explain this in layman's terms I am studying my Network + course but I'm a bit confused about this

If you are referring to IPv4, then a host IP address would refer to a specific device on a specific network. And an IP address that had the host number set to 0 would refer to that specific network.

For example assume a private class C space. The IP number for my computer might be something like 192.168.1.104 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

Then, you could say that my computer was on network 192.168.1.0 ....

For more information, you might want to look over at Eli the Computer Guy's Tutorials.

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[aarodav1]

If you are referring to IPv4, then a host IP address would refer to a specific device on a specific network. And an IP address that had the host number set to 0 would refer to that specific network.

For example assume a private class C space. The IP number for my computer might be something like 192.168.1.104 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

Then, you could say that my computer was on network 192.168.1.0 ....

For more information, you might want to look over at Eli the Computer Guy's Tutorials.

Best of luck,
Uno

That part about the host section being set to 0 isn't always true. Say you have a .128 mask. You would then be splitting up a class C into two subnets, one from .0-.127 and the other from .128-.255. So, both 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.1.128 would be network identifiers.

The easiest way to think of it is as the first IP address of the subnet is the IP that identifies which subnet it is.

 

[Bricked]

So when we say a host IP we mean an individual IP of one of the computers on a network? like a host IP can be:

192.168.1.7 / 255.255.255.0

and the Network IP would be here 192.168.1.1 ?

pls correct me if im wrong

Are you asking about the difference between a network ID and a host IP? If you're studying Net+ and you're up to subnetting then you should already know the difference between a network and and a host.

In this case the network ID would be 192.168.1.0, which is what you would use (along with the subnet mask) to refer/point to the entire subnet as opposed to an individual host. 192.168.1.1 would be the first available host IP address in that subnet, and you would use that to refer to the specific device or interface that is assigned that IP address.

In layman's terms, the host IP would be like a house address and the network ID would be the name of the street that the house is on.

Subnetting takes a bit of practice. Just keep at it; if you're stuck, just skip ahead and then go back to it a little bit later. Or just keep asking on forums; I know that I didn't really start to get it until someone explained it to me, even after reading up on it.

 

[imagoon]

That part about the host section being set to 0 isn't always true. Say you have a .128 mask. You would then be splitting up a class C into two subnets, one from .0-.127 and the other from .128-.255. So, both 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.1.128 would be network identifiers.

The easiest way to think of it is as the first IP address of the subnet is the IP that identifies which subnet it is.

Yup. Also the "classes" are extinct. A generally means /8 (255.0.0.0) B /16 (255.255.0.0) C /24 (255.255.255.0) however the original terms were more specific IE a Class A was 0.0.0.0 -> 127.255.255.255 divided on the /8 B was 128.0.0.1 -> 191.255.255.255 divided on the /16 and C was 192.0.0.0 -> 223.255.255.255 divided on the /24. Subnetting and supernetting was based on the classes. IE Class C 192.0.0.0 split in to 2 networks of 192.0.0.0 and 192.0.0.128 technically had a subnet value of 1. IE 24 Class bits, 1 Subnet bit or "/25" Now most people just refer to this as the subnet mask of /25 but old schoolers may consider it a subnet of /1 and expect you to know that the /24 was inferred from the Class C.

Class D (224.0.0.0 -> 239.255.255.255) was multicast and Class E was 'experimental' 240.0.0.0 -> 255.255.255.255.

Now that we have gone classless you can see that some of the old classed range conflict.

So... a host is 1 ip assigned to a resource... say 192.168.1.129 while the network is 192.168.1.128 /25 Actually knowing the network is 192.168.1.128, you should be able to infer the subnet mask is /25.

So:
Host 192.168.1.193
Network 192.168.1.192

Means the Hosts mask is 255.255.255.192

 

[spidey07]

Nice post imagoon.

Just to be a nit-pick...

So:
Host 192.168.1.193
Network 192.168.1.192

Means the Hosts mask is 255.255.255.192

Actually all it means is the mask is greater than 26 bits. Could be 255.255.255.252 for all you know.

 

[imagoon]

Nice post imagoon.

Just to be a nit-pick...


Actually all it means is the mask is greater than 26 bits. Could be 255.255.255.252 for all you know.

Yes very true. You really do need to know the broadcast address to be really sure.

 

[unokitty]

That part about the host section being set to 0 isn't always true. Say you have a .128 mask. You would then be splitting up a class C into two subnets, one from .0-.127 and the other from .128-.255. So, both 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.1.128 would be network identifiers.

And if you looked at the binary values of both of those network addresses, you would see that for the host portion, all of the digits are set to 0.

Uno

 

[aarodav1]

And if you looked at the binary values of both of those network addresses, you would see that for the host portion, all of the digits are set to 0.

Uno

Well yea I kind of assumed that's what you were talking about but it wasn't that clear in your post

 

[spidey07]

Well yea I kind of assumed that's what you were talking about but it wasn't that clear in your post

This is networking forum.

We only understand 1 or 0.