What is the term for the part of an IPv4 address that identifies the specific device on the network?

The host portion of an IPv4 address is the segment that identifies a specific device within a network. An IPv4 address consists of two main parts: the network portion and the host portion. The network portion indicates which specific network the device belongs to, while the host portion uniquely identifies the device within that network.

For example, in the IP address 192.168.1.100, the network portion could be 192.168.1, indicating the network, and the host portion is 100, identifying the specific device within that network. This division allows for efficient routing to the correct network and delivery of packets to the intended device on that network.

Understanding the distinction between the network and host portions is critical for effective IP addressing and subnetting, both of which are fundamental concepts in networking.