How many bits are needed to represent the network address of a host with an IP address of 192.168.150.16 and a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0?

To determine the number of bits needed to represent the network address of a host with a given IP address and subnet mask, you start by examining the subnet mask. In this case, the subnet mask is 255.255.0.0, which is often written in CIDR notation as /16.

The subnet mask defines which portion of the IP address is used for the network and which part is used for the host. With a /16 subnet mask, the first 16 bits of the IP address represent the network portion. This means that the network address is derived from the first two octets of the IP address.

For the IP address 192.168.150.16:

• The first two octets are 192 and 168, which form the network address.

• The remaining bits (in the third and fourth octets) are used to identify individual hosts within that network.

Thus, to represent the network address for an IP address with a /16 subnet mask, a total of 16 bits are needed. This corresponds to the two octets (192.168) designated for the network, making the correct answer significant in understanding how IP addressing and subnetting work.