Subnetting In Your Head

with Bill Ferguson

DNA of an IP Address
2n = # of networks | n = # of configurable network bits
2h – 2 = Hosts/network | h = # of host bits

Class A 1–126.X.X.X
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
0
Subnet mask: 255.0.0.0 or /8 (11111111.00000000.00000000.00000000)

Configurable network bits: 7 | host bits: 24

2n = 27 = 128 – 2 (0 and 127 networks) = 126 networks
2h – 2 = 224 – 2 = 16,777,216 – 2 = 16,777,214 hosts/network

Diagnostics 127.X.X.X

Class B 128–191.X.X.X
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
1 0
Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0 or /16 (11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000)

Configurable network bits: 14 | host bits: 16

2n = 214 = 16,384 networks
2h – 2 = 216 – 2 = 65,536 – 2 = 65,534 hosts/network

Class C 192–223.X.X.X
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
1 1 0
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 or /24 (11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000)

Configurable network bits: 21 | host bits: 8

2n = 221 = 2,097,152 networks
2h – 2 = 28 – 2 = 256 – 2 = 254 hosts/network

Class D – multicast
224.0.0.0–239.255.255.255

Class E – experimental
240.0.0.0–254.255.255.255

Subnetting In Your Head with Bill Ferguson

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