The IHL field indicates the IPv4 header length in what unit?

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Multiple Choice

The IHL field indicates the IPv4 header length in what unit?

Explanation:
The IHL field expresses the IPv4 header length in 32-bit words. It’s a 4-bit field, and its value tells how many 32-bit words (each 4 bytes) make up the header. So to get the header length in bytes, multiply by 4. For example, an IHL value of 5 means a 20-byte header (the minimum, with no options), while the maximum is 15 words (60 bytes) because the field is only 4 bits wide. This design keeps the header length aligned to 32-bit boundaries, aiding efficient parsing.

The IHL field expresses the IPv4 header length in 32-bit words. It’s a 4-bit field, and its value tells how many 32-bit words (each 4 bytes) make up the header. So to get the header length in bytes, multiply by 4. For example, an IHL value of 5 means a 20-byte header (the minimum, with no options), while the maximum is 15 words (60 bytes) because the field is only 4 bits wide. This design keeps the header length aligned to 32-bit boundaries, aiding efficient parsing.

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