Given the IP address 172.20.3.54 and a mask of 255.255.255.0, what can be stated about this addressing?

The addressing with the IP address 172.20.3.54 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 reveals specific details about the network structure. The subnet mask 255.255.255.0, when written in CIDR notation, is represented as /24, indicating that the first 24 bits of the address are utilized for the network portion.

In this scenario, the network portion includes the first three octets of the IP address—172.20.3—while the last octet, .54, represents the host portion within that network. Therefore, the assertion that the network portion of the address is 172.20.3 is correct, as it delineates the specific subnet to which this IP address belongs.

This means any device with an IP address starting with 172.20.3 (from 172.20.3.1 to 172.20.3.254) will be part of the same network, as the subnet mask restricts the host portion to the last octet. The details regarding the address structure, particularly the network portion, are crucial in understanding how devices communicate within the same or different subnets.