What is the maximum value of the 'Total Length' field in an IPv4 header?

What is the maximum value of the 'Total Length' field in an IPv4 header?

• A. 32,767
• B. 65,535
• C. 128,000
• D. 256,000

Answer: (B)

The 'Total Length' field in an IPv4 header specifies the entire size of the IP packet, including the header and the data payload. This field is crucial as it informs the receiving device how many bytes to expect for a complete datagram. The 'Total Length' field is a 16-bit field, which means it can represent values ranging from 0 to 2^16 - 1. This gives a maximum of 65,536 possible values. Since the value includes the header, the maximum 'Total Length' of an IPv4 packet is 65,535 bytes. This total includes a minimum header size of 20 bytes, leaving a maximum of 65,515 bytes for the data payload. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the largest value that can be stored in a 16-bit field, aligning perfectly with the specifications of the IPv4 protocol.

The 'Total Length' field in an IPv4 header specifies the entire size of the IP packet, including the header and the data payload. This field is crucial as it informs the receiving device how many bytes to expect for a complete datagram.

The 'Total Length' field is a 16-bit field, which means it can represent values ranging from 0 to 2^16 - 1. This gives a maximum of 65,536 possible values. Since the value includes the header, the maximum 'Total Length' of an IPv4 packet is 65,535 bytes. This total includes a minimum header size of 20 bytes, leaving a maximum of 65,515 bytes for the data payload.

Therefore, the correct answer reflects the largest value that can be stored in a 16-bit field, aligning perfectly with the specifications of the IPv4 protocol.