Which IPv4 address class allows a total of 254 hosts per network?

The correct choice is Class C, which allows for a total of 254 hosts per network. Class C addresses use the first three octets (the first 24 bits) for the network portion and the last octet (the last 8 bits) for the host portion. This means that the range of addresses available for hosts in a Class C network is from 0 to 255 in the last octet. However, two addresses are reserved: one for the network address (all zeros in the host portion) and one for the broadcast address (all ones in the host portion), effectively making 254 usable addresses for hosts.

Classes A and B are designed for larger networks and allow many more hosts. Class A can support approximately 16 million hosts, while Class B can support over 65,000 hosts. Class D is used for multicast groups and does not allocate addresses for hosts in the same way, making it not applicable to the question regarding the number of hosts per network.

In summary, Class C is specialized for smaller networks that need around 254 hosts, which makes it suitable for many organizations that require a moderate number of IP addresses.