Allocating IP version fields to increase address space

摘要

Computer systems, computer-readable media, and computerized methods for assigning network identifiers in a network are provided. A dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server is employed to allocate various fractional IP addresses that include a common IPv4 address paired with a value of an IP version field within a data packet, wherein the value is selected from a plurality of available values. In order to differentiate between fractional IP addresses that share a common IPv4 address, a particular value of the IP version field is selected by the DHCP server and assigned to a client device when that particular value is not currently or previously assigned to another client device. Upon assignment to the client device, a fractional IP address that includes the common IPv4 address together with the particular value of the IP version field uniquely identifies the client device as a destination of a data packet within the network.