Default Gateways .0 or .1

Overview

While both .0 and .1 endings for default gateway addresses are technically possible, there are compatibility and convention considerations that affect their usage.

Technical Details

• .0 - Traditionally reserved for network address
• .1 - Commonly used for default gateway/router
• .255 - Reserved for broadcast address

Compatibility Issues

MacOS and WebOS have known compatibility issues with default gateways ending in .0, while Android and server applications generally work with either address¹.

Best Practice

Using .1 as the default gateway address is recommended because:

1. It follows historical networking conventions²
2. It provides better cross-platform compatibility¹
3. It avoids potential issues with legacy systems that might reserve .0 for network addressing³

Footnotes

1. Based on observed MacOS and WebOS behavior ↩ ↩²

2. Reddit - Reserved IP Addresses Discussion ↩

3. TechTarget - IP Address Assignments ↩