What does the host address in an IP address identify?

• A. The entire network
• B. The gateway device
• C. The host uniquely identifies a host on a network.
• D. The broadcast address

Answer: (C)

IPv4 addresses are divided into a network part and a host part. The host part identifies a specific device within that network, enabling the network to deliver packets to that exact host. The network part groups addresses into a subnet, guiding routing between networks; the gateway address is the router on the network, and the broadcast address is used to reach all devices on that subnet. So the host portion uniquely identifies a host on a network.