Which class of internet address provides the fewest network numbers, but the greatest number of hosts per network?

Class A addresses provide the fewest network numbers while accommodating the greatest number of hosts per network. This is primarily due to the structure of the Class A addressing scheme.

In a Class A address, the first octet (8 bits) is used to identify the network, and the remaining three octets (24 bits) are available for host addresses. This allows for a total of 128 possible Class A networks (ranging from 0 to 127), but each network can support over 16 million unique hosts (2^24 - 2, accounting for network and broadcast addresses).

This design is advantageous for very large organizations or networks that require a vast number of devices on a single network segment, but it limits the number of distinct networks. The other classes (B, C, and D) offer varying combinations of network numbers and host capacity, but none is structured to provide the same large host count as Class A while maintaining fewer networks. Thus, Class A is notable for its ability to host the maximum number of devices within a limited number of network segments.