Why It’s Rare to Use 192.168.1.0
Internet protocol organizes each network into one continuous address range. The first number in the range serves a special purpose in IP. Routers use it to support the 192.168.1.x network as a whole. When 192.168.1.0 (or any other address) is configured as a network number, it becomes unusable for any other purpose. If an administrator assigns 192.168.1.0 as a static IP address, the network stops functioning until that device is taken offline.
How 192.168.1.0 Works
192.168.1.0 falls within the private IP address range that starts with 192.168.0.0. It’s a private IPv4 network address, meaning that ping tests, or any other connection from the internet or other outside networks, cannot be routed to it. As a network number, this address is used in routing tables and by routers to share network information. The dotted decimal notation of IP address converts the binary numbers used by computers into human-readable form. This is the binary number corresponding to 192.168.1.0: 11000000 10101000 00000001 00000000
192.168.1.0 Alternatives
A home router is typically installed with 192.168.1.1 and supplies only higher-numbered addresses to local clients, for example, 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, and so on. The IP address 192.168.0.1 works well and is sometimes used as a home network router’s local IP address. Some people mistakenly reverse the last two digits and look for 192.168.1.0 on their network instead of the correct address. All networks in the private IP range work equally well. 192.168.0.0 is easier to remember and the most logical starting place to set up a private IP network, but 192.168.100.0 or any number less than 256 works.
