What does the network address consisting of all zeros signify?

• A. The network or segment
• B. The host address on the network
• C. The broadcast address
• D. The default gateway

Answer: (A)

In IPv4, addresses are split into a network portion and a host portion. The network address is what you get when the host portion is all zeros. That zeros pattern designates the network itself, not a single device on it.

For example, with a subnet like 192.168.5.0/24, the network address is 192.168.5.0. Devices on that subnet use addresses such as 192.168.5.1 through 192.168.5.254, and the broadcast address is 192.168.5.255.

So a network address consisting of all zeros identifies the network or segment. The host address on the network would have nonzero host bits, the broadcast address would have all host bits set to one, and the default gateway is just a specific router interface on that network.