255.255.255.255/32
Public255.255.255.255 is the limited broadcast address. Packets sent to this address are delivered to all hosts on the local network segment but are never forwarded by routers. Used by DHCP clients sending DHCPDISCOVER before they have an IP, and by some legacy network protocols.
Network address — the base address of the block (255.255.255.255). All devices in this subnet share this prefix. Cannot be assigned to a host.
Broadcast address — packets sent to 255.255.255.255 are delivered to every device in the subnet. Also reserved — not assignable.
Usable hosts — the 1 addresses between those two that you can assign to servers, VMs, or interfaces.
Subnet mask — 255.255.255.255 is the dotted-decimal equivalent of /32. Older tools and Cisco configs use this format instead of CIDR slash notation.
Full Details
| CIDR Notation | 255.255.255.255/32 |
| Network Address | 255.255.255.255 |
| Broadcast Address | 255.255.255.255 |
| Subnet Mask | 255.255.255.255 |
| Wildcard Mask | 0.0.0.0 |
| Prefix Length | /32 |
| IP Address Class | Class E (Reserved) |
| Total IP Addresses | 1 |
| Usable Host Addresses | 1 |
| First Usable IP | 255.255.255.255 |
| Last Usable IP | 255.255.255.255 |
| Network (Hex) | 0xFFFFFFFF |
| Broadcast (Hex) | 0xFFFFFFFF |
| Address Type | Public / Globally Routable |
Binary Representation
The first 32 bits (1s in the mask) identify the network. The remaining 0 bits identify hosts within the network.
All 1 IP Addresses in this Range
Common Use Cases
- → DHCP DISCOVER packets from unconfigured clients
- → Legacy network protocol broadcasts (NetBIOS)
- → Wake-on-LAN (WoL) magic packets on local subnet