diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/InterfaceAddress.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/InterfaceAddress.java index c0ebae261e8..6df2de353e3 100644 --- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/InterfaceAddress.java +++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/net/InterfaceAddress.java @@ -28,10 +28,10 @@ package java.net; import java.util.Objects; /** - * This class represents a Network Interface address. In short it's an - * IP address, a subnet mask and a broadcast address when the address is - * an IPv4 one. An IP address and a network prefix length in the case - * of IPv6 address. + * This class represents a Network Interface address. In the case of + * IPv4, this comprises the IP address, a subnet mask, and a broadcast + * address if the interface supports broadcast. In the case of IPv6, + * it comprises the IP address and a network prefix length. * * @see java.net.NetworkInterface * @since 1.6 @@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ public final class InterfaceAddress { *
* Only IPv4 networks have broadcast address therefore, in the case * of an IPv6 network, {@code null} will be returned. + *
+ * Certain network interfaces, such as the loopback interface, do not support + * broadcasting and will also return {@code null}. * * @return the {@code InetAddress} representing the broadcast * address or {@code null} if there is no broadcast address.