Uses of Class java.net.InetAddress (Java Platform SE 8 )
Date: 2026-04-17

## Uses of Class
java.net.InetAddress

- Packages that use InetAddress
  Package | Description
  --- | ---
  java.lang | Provides classes that are fundamental to the design of the Java programming language.
  java.net | Provides the classes for implementing networking applications.
  java.nio.channels | Defines channels, which represent connections to entities that are capable of performing I/O operations, such as files and sockets; defines selectors, for multiplexed, non-blocking I/O operations.
  javax.net | Provides classes for networking applications.
  javax.net.ssl | Provides classes for the secure socket package.
  javax.security.auth.kerberos | This package contains utility classes related to the Kerberos network authentication protocol.
  org.ietf.jgss | This package presents a framework that allows application developers to make use of security services like authentication, data integrity and data confidentiality from a variety of underlying security mechanisms like Kerberos, using a unified API.

- - ### Uses of InetAddress in java.lang

    Methods in java.lang with parameters of type InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | SecurityManager.`checkMulticast(InetAddress maddr)` Throws a `SecurityException` if the calling thread is not allowed to use (join/leave/send/receive) IP multicast.
    `void` | SecurityManager.`checkMulticast(InetAddress maddr, byte ttl)` Deprecated. Use #checkPermission(java.security.Permission) instead

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in java.net

    Subclasses of InetAddress in java.net
    Modifier and Type | Class and Description
    --- | ---
    `class` | `Inet4Address` This class represents an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address.
    `class` | `Inet6Address` This class represents an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address.

    Fields in java.net declared as InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected InetAddress` | SocketImpl.`address` The IP address of the remote end of this socket.

    Methods in java.net that return InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `InetAddress` | InetSocketAddress.`getAddress()` Gets the `InetAddress`.
    `InetAddress` | DatagramPacket.`getAddress()` Returns the IP address of the machine to which this datagram is being sent or from which the datagram was received.
    `InetAddress` | InterfaceAddress.`getAddress()` Returns an `InetAddress` for this address.
    `static InetAddress[]` | InetAddress.`getAllByName(String host)` Given the name of a host, returns an array of its IP addresses, based on the configured name service on the system.
    `InetAddress` | InterfaceAddress.`getBroadcast()` Returns an `InetAddress` for the broadcast address for this InterfaceAddress.
    `static InetAddress` | InetAddress.`getByAddress(byte[] addr)` Returns an `InetAddress` object given the raw IP address .
    `static InetAddress` | InetAddress.`getByAddress(String host, byte[] addr)` Creates an InetAddress based on the provided host name and IP address.
    `static InetAddress` | InetAddress.`getByName(String host)` Determines the IP address of a host, given the host's name.
    `protected InetAddress` | URLStreamHandler.`getHostAddress(URL u)` Get the IP address of our host.
    `protected InetAddress` | SocketImpl.`getInetAddress()` Returns the value of this socket's `address` field.
    `InetAddress` | DatagramSocket.`getInetAddress()` Returns the address to which this socket is connected.
    `InetAddress` | Socket.`getInetAddress()` Returns the address to which the socket is connected.
    `InetAddress` | ServerSocket.`getInetAddress()` Returns the local address of this server socket.
    `InetAddress` | MulticastSocket.`getInterface()` Retrieve the address of the network interface used for multicast packets.
    `InetAddress` | DatagramSocket.`getLocalAddress()` Gets the local address to which the socket is bound.
    `InetAddress` | Socket.`getLocalAddress()` Gets the local address to which the socket is bound.
    `static InetAddress` | InetAddress.`getLocalHost()` Returns the address of the local host.
    `static InetAddress` | InetAddress.`getLoopbackAddress()` Returns the loopback address.
    `protected InetAddress` | Authenticator.`getRequestingSite()` Gets the `InetAddress` of the site requesting authorization, or `null` if not available.

    Methods in java.net that return types with arguments of type InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `Enumeration<InetAddress>` | NetworkInterface.`getInetAddresses()` Convenience method to return an Enumeration with all or a subset of the InetAddresses bound to this network interface.

    Methods in java.net with parameters of type InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `protected abstract void` | SocketImpl.`bind(InetAddress host, int port)` Binds this socket to the specified local IP address and port number.
    `protected abstract void` | DatagramSocketImpl.`bind(int lport, InetAddress laddr)` Binds a datagram socket to a local port and address.
    `protected void` | DatagramSocketImpl.`connect(InetAddress address, int port)` Connects a datagram socket to a remote destination.
    `protected abstract void` | SocketImpl.`connect(InetAddress address, int port)` Connects this socket to the specified port number on the specified host.
    `void` | DatagramSocket.`connect(InetAddress address, int port)` Connects the socket to a remote address for this socket.
    `static NetworkInterface` | NetworkInterface.`getByInetAddress(InetAddress addr)` Convenience method to search for a network interface that has the specified Internet Protocol (IP) address bound to it.
    `protected abstract void` | DatagramSocketImpl.`join(InetAddress inetaddr)` Join the multicast group.
    `void` | MulticastSocket.`joinGroup(InetAddress mcastaddr)` Joins a multicast group.
    `protected abstract void` | DatagramSocketImpl.`leave(InetAddress inetaddr)` Leave the multicast group.
    `void` | MulticastSocket.`leaveGroup(InetAddress mcastaddr)` Leave a multicast group.
    `protected abstract int` | DatagramSocketImpl.`peek(InetAddress i)` Peek at the packet to see who it is from.
    `static PasswordAuthentication` | Authenticator.`requestPasswordAuthentication(InetAddress addr, int port, String protocol, String prompt, String scheme)` Ask the authenticator that has been registered with the system for a password.
    `static PasswordAuthentication` | Authenticator.`requestPasswordAuthentication(String host, InetAddress addr, int port, String protocol, String prompt, String scheme)` Ask the authenticator that has been registered with the system for a password.
    `static PasswordAuthentication` | Authenticator.`requestPasswordAuthentication(String host, InetAddress addr, int port, String protocol, String prompt, String scheme, URL url, Authenticator.RequestorType reqType)` Ask the authenticator that has been registered with the system for a password.
    `void` | DatagramPacket.`setAddress(InetAddress iaddr)` Sets the IP address of the machine to which this datagram is being sent.
    `void` | MulticastSocket.`setInterface(InetAddress inf)` Set the multicast network interface used by methods whose behavior would be affected by the value of the network interface.

    Constructors in java.net with parameters of type InetAddress
    Constructor and Description
    `DatagramPacket(byte[] buf, int length, InetAddress address, int port)` Constructs a datagram packet for sending packets of length `length` to the specified port number on the specified host.
    `DatagramPacket(byte[] buf, int offset, int length, InetAddress address, int port)` Constructs a datagram packet for sending packets of length `length` with offset `ioffset`to the specified port number on the specified host.
    `DatagramSocket(int port, InetAddress laddr)` Creates a datagram socket, bound to the specified local address.
    `InetSocketAddress(InetAddress addr, int port)` Creates a socket address from an IP address and a port number.
    `ServerSocket(int port, int backlog, InetAddress bindAddr)` Create a server with the specified port, listen backlog, and local IP address to bind to.
    `Socket(InetAddress address, int port)` Creates a stream socket and connects it to the specified port number at the specified IP address.
    `Socket(InetAddress host, int port, boolean stream)` Deprecated. Use DatagramSocket instead for UDP transport.
    `Socket(InetAddress address, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort)` Creates a socket and connects it to the specified remote address on the specified remote port.
    `Socket(String host, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort)` Creates a socket and connects it to the specified remote host on the specified remote port.

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in java.nio.channels

    Methods in java.nio.channels that return InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `abstract InetAddress` | MembershipKey.`group()` Returns the multicast group for which this membership key was created.
    `abstract InetAddress` | MembershipKey.`sourceAddress()` Returns the source address if this membership key is source-specific, or `null` if this membership is not source-specific.

    Methods in java.nio.channels with parameters of type InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `abstract MembershipKey` | MembershipKey.`block(InetAddress source)` Block multicast datagrams from the given source address.
    `MembershipKey` | MulticastChannel.`join(InetAddress group, NetworkInterface interf)` Joins a multicast group to begin receiving all datagrams sent to the group, returning a membership key.
    `MembershipKey` | MulticastChannel.`join(InetAddress group, NetworkInterface interf, InetAddress source)` Joins a multicast group to begin receiving datagrams sent to the group from a given source address.
    `abstract MembershipKey` | MembershipKey.`unblock(InetAddress source)` Unblock multicast datagrams from the given source address that was previously blocked using the `block` method.

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in javax.net

    Methods in javax.net with parameters of type InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `abstract ServerSocket` | ServerSocketFactory.`createServerSocket(int port, int backlog, InetAddress ifAddress)` Returns a server socket bound to the specified port, with a specified listen backlog and local IP.
    `abstract Socket` | SocketFactory.`createSocket(InetAddress host, int port)` Creates a socket and connects it to the specified port number at the specified address.
    `abstract Socket` | SocketFactory.`createSocket(InetAddress address, int port, InetAddress localAddress, int localPort)` Creates a socket and connect it to the specified remote address on the specified remote port.
    `abstract Socket` | SocketFactory.`createSocket(String host, int port, InetAddress localHost, int localPort)` Creates a socket and connects it to the specified remote host on the specified remote port.

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in javax.net.ssl

    Constructors in javax.net.ssl with parameters of type InetAddress
    Constructor and Description
    `SSLServerSocket(int port, int backlog, InetAddress address)` Used only by subclasses.
    `SSLSocket(InetAddress address, int port)` Used only by subclasses.
    `SSLSocket(InetAddress address, int port, InetAddress clientAddress, int clientPort)` Used only by subclasses.
    `SSLSocket(String host, int port, InetAddress clientAddress, int clientPort)` Used only by subclasses.

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in javax.security.auth.kerberos

    Methods in javax.security.auth.kerberos that return InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `InetAddress[]` | KerberosTicket.`getClientAddresses()` Returns a list of addresses from where the ticket can be used.

    Constructors in javax.security.auth.kerberos with parameters of type InetAddress
    Constructor and Description
    `KerberosTicket(byte[] asn1Encoding, KerberosPrincipal client, KerberosPrincipal server, byte[] sessionKey, int keyType, boolean[] flags, Date authTime, Date startTime, Date endTime, Date renewTill, InetAddress[] clientAddresses)` Constructs a KerberosTicket using credentials information that a client either receives from a KDC or reads from a cache.

  - ### Uses of InetAddress in org.ietf.jgss

    Methods in org.ietf.jgss that return InetAddress
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `InetAddress` | ChannelBinding.`getAcceptorAddress()` Get the acceptor's address for this channel binding.
    `InetAddress` | ChannelBinding.`getInitiatorAddress()` Get the initiator's address for this channel binding.

    Constructors in org.ietf.jgss with parameters of type InetAddress
    Constructor and Description
    `ChannelBinding(InetAddress initAddr, InetAddress acceptAddr, byte[] appData)` Create a ChannelBinding object with user supplied address information and data.

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