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I would like to ask for help with explaining every particular entry in routing table. That is what I receive after calling route print in my PC, based on Windows:

enter image description here

So my understanding is:

  1. 0.0.0.0 indicates default route,
  2. 127.0.0.0/8 indicates whole network of loopback addresses,
  3. 127.0.0.1 is loopback address for my device,
  4. 127.255.255.255 is a broadcast address in network of loopback addresses. What is its use case?
  5. 192.168.1.0/24 is my private network,
  6. 192.168.1.15 is a IP address of my router,
  7. 192.168.1.255 is a broadcast address in my private network,
  8. 224.0.0.0 is some kind of multicast address - what is its purpose?
  9. 255.255.255.255 is a global broadcasting address for whole network, including every subnet in my private network.

Another point - why do we have Netmask /32 for f.e. 192.168.1.15 instead of /24?

Could someone clarify my consternations and check my points, if I am right here?

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  • Has any answer solved your question? Then please accept it or your question will keep popping up here forever. Please also consider voting for useful answers.
    – Zac67 ♦
    Commented Sep 7, 2023 at 8:35

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127.255.255.255 is a broadcast address in network of loopback addresses. What is its use case?

Good question - it's a subnet, so it's got a directed broadcast address. I don't see a real use case.

192.168.1.15 is a IP address of my router

No, 192.168.1.15 is your local interface IP address. Your router's address is the gateway in the 0.0.0.0/0 route.

224.0.0.0 is some kind of multicast address - what is its purpose?

224.0.0.0/4 is the logical subnet for all multicast addresses. The routing entry says on-link, so it basically means for multicast, just send out of this interface.

255.255.255.255 is a global broadcasting address for whole network, including every subnet in my private network.

255.255.255.255 is the limited broadcast address which is only propagated within the single subnet of the interface that sent it. It is never routed to other subnets (unlike the subnet directed broadcast address 192.168.1.255 which may be routed from elsewhere, depending on router configuration).

why do we have Netmask /32 for f.e. 192.168.1.15 instead of /24?

Since 192.168.1.15 is your local IP address, that entry allows looping packets back to the local IP stack instead of actually transmitting them.

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  • Thank you for your help. Regarding the 255.255.255.255 netmask, I think you are reffering to loopback address.
    – Bratw
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:55

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