Limited Broadcast Usage

Understanding the limited broadcast address in IP networking

This is an easy networking fundamentals question that tests your knowledge of IPv4 broadcast mechanics. It probes whether you understand how devices communicate within a local network segment when a specific destination address is unknown or unavailable.

The limited broadcast address is a foundational concept in TCP/IP that appears in real interview settings at firms building trading infrastructure, market-data systems, or any low-latency network stack. To answer correctly, you need to understand the scope and behavior of broadcast traffic—specifically, how routers and network hardware handle frames destined to this special address, and why it matters for network design.

• Broadcast vs. unicast vs. multicast addressing
• Network boundaries and router forwarding rules
• DHCP discovery and ARP flooding scenarios