Maximum number of systems in a LAN

Question

I am developing a web application. I want to deploy it in a LAN. I would like to know what will be the maximum number of systems possible in a LAN?

Answer 1

In a LAN like the one you say (192.168.1.56) is the maximum number of systems 253 if I'm not wrong. 255 is the highest number in an IP address and the last number and first number are reserved for broadcast address and network address.
Or it would be that the subnet mask is other than 255.255.255.0 then it can be even less than 253.
And about the handling of assignment of IP addresses that depends on how the network and systems are configured. Most of the networks are configured so that every PC gets his IP address from a DHCP server (router most of the times). If it goes through DHCP then one PC can have now IP address 192.168.1.56 and when it reboots it can have address 192.168.1.105. Also a PC can have a static IP address so that it does not change.

Answer 2

The maximum number of nodes on a LAN depends on the media type, network protocol, and (at least for the IPv4 protocol) the network address class.

For example, a Class C IPv4 network (mask 255.255.255.0) on ethernet could have up to 254 nodes. (0 and 255 are reserved).

A class B IPv4 network such as 192.168.x.x (mask 255.255.0.0) might have up to 16381 nodes. (0 and 16383 are reserved). But in practice the number of ethernet nodes within the same collision domain is likely to be much less, depending on the number of hubs and their layout.

Answer 3

What do you mean with "maximum number of systems"? Amount of IP-adresses? That depends on the IP class and subclass.