Subnetting Tutorial – Subnetting Made Easy
In this article, we will learn how to subnet and make subnetting an easy task.
The table below summarizes the possible network numbers, the total number of each type, and the number of hosts in each Class A, B, and C network.
Default subnet mask | Range | |
Class A | 255.0.0.0 (/8) | 1.0.0.0 – 126.255.255.255 |
Class B | 255.255.0.0 (/16) | 128.0.0.0 – 191.255.255.255 |
Class C | 255.255.255.0 (/24) | 192.0.0.0 – 223.255.255.255 |
Table 1 – Default subnet mask & range of each class
Class A addresses begin with a 0 bit. Therefore, all addresses from 1.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255 belong to class A (1=0000 0001; 126 = 0111 1110).
The 0.0.0.0 address is reserved for default routing and the 127.0.0.0 address is reserved for loopback testing so they don’t belong to any class.
Class B addresses begin with a 1 bit and a 0 bit. Therefore, all addresses from 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255 belong to class B (128=1000 0000; 191 = 1011 1111).
Class C addresses begin with two 1 bits and a 0 bit. Class C addresses range from 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255 (192 = 1100 0000; 223 = 1101 1111).
Class D & E are used for Multicast and Research purposes and we are not allowed to subnet them so they are not mentioned here.
Note: The number behind the slash notation (/) specifies how many bits are turned on (bit 1). For example:
+ “/8” equals “1111 1111.0000 0000.0000 0000.0000 0000” -> 8 bits are turned on (bit 1)
+ “/12” equals “1111 1111.1111 0000.0000 0000.0000 0000” -> 12 bits are turned on (bit 1)
+ “/28” equals “1111 1111.1111 1111.1111 1111.1111 0000” -> 28 bits are turned on (bit 1)
+ “/32” equals “1111 1111.1111 1111.1111 1111.1111 1111” -> 32 bits are turned on (bit 1) and this is also the maximum value because all bits are turned on.
The slash notation (following with a number) is equivalent to a subnet mask. If you know the slash notation you can figure out the subnet mask and vice versa. For example, “/8” is equivalent to “255.0.0.0”; “/12” is equivalent to “255.240.0.0”; “/28” is equivalent to “255.255.255.240”; “/32” is equivalent to “255.255.255.255”.
The Network & Host parts of each class by default
From the “default subnet mask” shown above, we can identify the network and host part of each class. Notice that in the subnet mask, bit 1 represents for Network part while bit 0 presents for Host part (255 equals to 1111 1111 and 0 equals to 0000 0000 in binary form).
What is “subnetting”?
When changing a number in the Network part of an IP address we will be in a different network from the previous address. For example, the IP address 11.0.0.1 belongs to class A and has a default subnet mask of 255.0.0.0; if we change the number in the first octet (a block of 8 bits, the first octet is the leftmost 8 bits) we will create a different network. For example, 12.0.0.1 is in a different network from 11.0.0.1. But if we change a number in the Host part, we are still in the same Network. For example, 11.1.0.1 is in the same network of 11.0.0.1.
The problem here is if we want to create 300 networks how can we do that? In the above example, we can only create different networks when changing the first octet so we can create a maximum of 255 networks because the first octet can only range from 1 to 255 (in fact it is much smaller because class A only range from 1 to 126). Now we have to use a technique called “subnetting” to achieve our purpose.
“Subnetting” means we borrow some bits from the Host part to add to the Network part. This allows us to have more networks than using the default subnet mask. For example, we can borrow some bits in the next octet to make the address 11.1.0.1 belong to a different network from 11.0.0.1.
How to subnet?
Do you remember that I said “in the subnet mask, bit 1 represents for Network part while bit 0 presents for Host part”? Well, this also means that we can specify how many bits we want to borrow by changing how many bit 0 to bit 1 in the subnet mask.
Let’s come back to our example with the IP 11.0.0.1, we will write all numbers in binary form to reveal what a computer really sees in an IP address.
Now you can clearly see that the subnet mask will decide which is the Network part, which is the Host part. By borrowing 8 bits, our subnet mask will be like this:
After changing the second octet of the subnet mask from all “0” to all “1”, the Network part is now extended. Now we can create new networks by changing number in the first or second octet. This greatly increases the number of networks we can create. With this new subnet mask, IP 11.1.0.1 is in different network from IP 11.0.0.1 because “1” in the second octet now belongs to the Network part.
So, in conclusion we “subnet” by borrowing bit “0” in the Host portion and converting them to bit “1”. The number of borrowed bits is depended on how many networks we need.
Note: A rule of borrowing bits is we can only borrow bit 0 from the left to the right without skipping any bit 0. For example, you can borrow like this: “1111 1111. 1100 0000.0000 0000.0000 0000” but not this: “1111 1111. 1010 0000.0000 0000.0000 0000”. In general, just make sure all your bit “1”s are successive on the left and all your bit “0”s are successive on the right.
In the next part we will learn how to calculate the number of sub-networks and hosts-per-subnet
VERY USEFUL NOTES……..
It help me so much!! Thank you so MUCH!!
Nice Presentation
Subnetting is the Root of Networking if We Don’t Practice Subnetting Examples it will forgot Faster then other Protocols
Try to Design Your Lab Simulations in VLSM forms otherwise You Will Forgot Sebnetting
Thanks a lot for this tutorial. :)
Thank you so much for making these tutorials available to everyone !
Excellent and Lucid way.Simple..
Thanks I liked everything in your presentation,let GOD reaching BLESS you .
thanks
I would like to thank for submit mask presentation
I wiil amember of your programing design
Please help,
Why 2001:0db8:0:130h::87c:140b is not a valid IPV6 address?
Please help,
What does it means when a question said “All of the networks are configured with the ip subnet-zero command” ?
good job
Thaank u…it is very help for me.
subnetting becomes very simple after I finished the article thanks a lot
is there any article for CIDR or summarization
Good stuff. Thanks
Excellent Tutorial
now i need “how to” crack a 11110000.11110000. 11110000.11110000/4 or another simple. issue. Thanks for your help!
Really confusing
Thanks
Thanks a lot still trying to capture it cos am not too conversant with it but now am getting it.
The loopback is 127.0.0.1 not 127.0.0.0
What is the public ip range.?
Wht is “any address”?
i Really influnce by ur Teaching ..methodology..great work..
well done, suppose this type of question came out in exam….with this type of example how do u expect me to convert 2^16 with no calculator?
fantastic expresed
In Exercise 3 , no of host should be 2^4=16(here we borrow 4 bits) and no of host =2^16-2=65534.
Please let me correct if im wrong.
Anonymous July 14th, 2015 In Exercise 3 , no of network should be 2^4=16(here we borrow 4 bits) and no of host =2^16-2=65534.
Please let me correct if im wrong.
@ Anonymous No, you are wrong. The network address 198.23.16.0/28 has been sub-netted already… this is a class c network and the subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 in decimal, 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000 in binary and the actual address 198.23.16.0/24. but instead the address given is 198.23.16.0/28, which means we have borrowed 4 bits already…. so in order to create subnets with the given mask( 255.255.255.252), we need just to borrow 2 bits. hope i’m clear
Really great work bro
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i need a help on these question (because of increased enrolment,Arcitic university is expanding its stundent computers services by additional six computers labs located on the main campus.Each lab will contain 100 new windows XP-base computers. To reduce the amount of network traffic and increase control ,you recommend that each new lab be configured as a separate subnet .The new computers labs caan use the network ID 172.16.0.0.What subnet masks will you use to subnet the labs? What range of IP
Addresses can you assign to each lab? Use a table similar to the one show below to recor your answer
great
nice teaching method, this is a very easy method to calculate subnetting.
thank you very much
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you’ve done this in a very understanding way….thank you mate…!!!
what the max number of subnet can we get in class A and in Class B and C
I still don’t get it. you suck
There has to be an easier way to do this. you suck
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Thanks, bro. It helps me much more :)
Thanks, bro. It helps me much more :)
exercise 3, two subnet masks? how do you know which to use or how are both applied? I can’t follow the progression on this problem.
and this is a great site. it’s helped me nail down some concepts i’ve been struggling with. that 3rd exercise though just isn’t sinking in
First sentence after the first table: “Class A addresses begin with a 0 bit.”This is a poor explanation. 10.16.32.100 is a class A. 172.15.10.200 is a class A. I don’t understand your methodology.