How are IPv4 addresses structured in terms of bits and octets?

An IPv4 address is 32 bits split into 4 octets of 8 bits each; each octet is shown as a decimal 0-255 separated by dots (dotted decimal notation).

* 32 bits → four octets → dotted decimal: 11000000.10101000.00001011.00001010 = 192.168.11.10. *

IPv4 Address Structure:

• 32 bits total divided into 4 groups of 8 bits
• Each 8-bit group is called an octet
• Each octet is converted to decimal (0-255)
• Octets are separated by periods: Dotted Decimal Notation

Example:

Binary:     11000000.10101000.00001010.00001010
Decimal:    192.168.10.10

Key point: Routers and computers process IPv4 addresses in binary, but humans use dotted decimal for readability.

Go deeper:

• Wikipedia — IPv4 — the 32-bit address space, octets, and dotted-decimal notation in full.