Subnetting a company’s network Using VLSM (Variable Length Subnet

Mask)

Objectives:

The following are the objectives of the solution:

• Demonstrate a profound understanding of subnetting using VLSM.

• Address conflicting technical requirements.

• Analyze various factors influencing subnetting decisions.

• Incorporate infrequent issues.

• Align with professional standards and codes.

• Satisfy stakeholders' constraints.

• Highlight the interdependence of subproblems in network design.

Investigation:

• Need to discuss the need for efficient IP address utilization and scalability.

• Need to Break down each network's requirements and calculate the required number of

host addresses.

• Explain how these requirements create the need for variable subnet sizes.

• Detail the advantages of VLSM, such as minimizing IP wastage.

• Discuss potential challenges like increased routing complexity.

Students need to investigate the mentioned problem areas to implement solution.

Evaluation:

Provide a detailed table showing the allocation of IP address ranges, subnet masks, and

subnetworks for each network. Highlight how you've minimized IP wastage and maximized

scalability.

Design:

Students’ solution design must achieve the given objectives.

Deliverables:

A printed assignment reporting the following tasks:

(i) A properly written VLSM subnet allocation with appropriate topology.

(ii) Briefly address the complex problem-solving questions:

a. Does the solution need in-depth engineering knowledge?

b. Does the solution involve wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering, and

other issues? c. Is the solution well-known, or does it require abstract thinking and

analysis to formulate? d. Does the solution involve infrequently encountered issues?

e. Does the solution need adherence to standards and codes of practice?

f. Does the solution involve stakeholders with conflicting technical requirements?

g. Does the solution involve interdependence between sub-problems or parts?

Rubrics for Assignment marking:

Tas Criteria Good (4-5) Moderate (2-3) Poor (1)

i. Problem Properly or near Appropriate Inappropriate or

 solution appropriately reasoned solution for no solution

solution some cases

ii. Problem In-depth analysis Shallow analysis Incomplete analysis

analysis
Solution using VLSM.

Investigation:

1. Conflicting Technical Requirements Analysis: Efficient IP address utilization

conflicts with the need for scalability. VLSM provides a solution by allowing

variable subnet sizes.

Evaluation:

2. Analysis of Network Requirements:

• Subnet A: Requires 80 host addresses.

• Subnet B: Requires 45 host addresses.

• Subnet C: Requires 25 host addresses.

• Subnet D: Requires 15 host addresses.

Subnetting

As the name implies, subnetting is the process of dividing a single large network into multiple small

networks known as subnets. The primary purpose of subnetting is to help relieve network congestion

and improve efficiency in the utilization of the relatively small network address space available

especially in IPv4.

Advantages of VLSM

VLSM is a subnet design strategy that allows all subnet masks to have variable sizes. In VLSM

subnetting, network administrators can divide an IP address space into subnets of different sizes, and

allocate it according to the individual need on a network. This type of subnetting makes more
efficient use of a given IP address range. VLSM is the defacto standard for how every network is

designed today. Table 2.0 below is a summary of the differences between FLSM and VLSM

Subnetting. VLSM is supported by the following protocols: Open Shortest Path First (OSPF),

Enhanced Interior Gateway Router Protocol (EIGRP), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Routing

Information Protocol (RIP) version 2 and 3, and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS).

You need to configure your router for VLSM with one of those protocols.

VLSM Subnet Allocation:

Subnet Required Hosts Subnet Size Subnet Mask IP Range Broadcast Usable Range A 80 128

255.255.255.128 192.168.0.0 192.168.0.127 192.168.0.1 - 126 B 45 64 255.255.255.192

192.168.0.128 192.168.0.191 192.168.0.129 - 190

Subn Required Subnet Subnet Mask IP Range Broadcast Usable Range

et Hosts Size

C 25 32 255.255.255.2 192.168.0.1 192.168.0.2 192.168.0.193 -

24 92 23 222

D 15 16 255.255.255.2 192.168.0.2 192.168.0.2 192.168.0.225 -

40 24 39 238

Logical Topology:
1. Depth of Knowledge:

Calculating subnet masks and IP ranges requires a deep understanding of binary

representation. For instance, if a subnet requires 80 host addresses (2^7 - 2), the depth of

knowledge lies in knowing that you need a subnet mask of /25 to accommodate those

hosts while allowing for network and broadcast addresses to be subtracted.

2. Conflicting Technical Requirements:

Balancing efficient IP utilization with scalability can be intricate. Suppose the company

experiences rapid growth, requiring more subnets than initially allocated. Adjusting subnet
sizes while maintaining compatibility with existing routing configurations becomes a

complex engineering challenge.

3. Analysis of Various Factors:

Determining subnet sizes based on network requirements requires considering multiple

factors. For instance, deciding between a larger subnet size for future scalability and a

smaller size for efficient IP usage might depend on projected growth rates and expected host

utilization.

4. Infrequent Issues:

Here are some additional infrequent issues that might arise when completing the

subnetting assignment using VLSM:

I) Legacy System Integration:

Introducing VLSM into an existing network with legacy systems or devices that do not

support variable subnet sizes.

Solution: Implementing compatibility mechanisms such as route summarization or

translation gateways to ensure seamless communication between legacy and VLSM-

enabled subnets.

II) Broadcast Domain Size:

Creating subnets with too many hosts can result in larger broadcast domains, leading

to broadcast storms and network congestion.

Solution: Balancing the number of hosts within subnets to avoid excessive broadcast traffic

and implementing techniques like VLAN segmentation to control broadcast domains.

III) Address Exhaustion and Allocation:

Inefficient allocation of IP addresses within subnets can lead to exhaustion of

available addresses or unbalanced utilization.

Solution: Carefully planning and allocating IP addresses, considering potential future

growth, and employing IP address management (IPAM) tools to track allocations.

IV) Security and Access Control:

Issue: Subnetting can impact security zoning and access control policies if not

properly integrated with firewall rules and security policies.

Solution: Ensuring that subnet design aligns with security requirements and configuring

access control lists (ACLs) to maintain desired security boundaries.

V) Resource Constraint Devices:

Issue: Deploying VLSM might introduce performance challenges for devices with

limited memory or processing capabilities.

Solution: Considering the capabilities of routers and switches and evaluating the impact

of VLSM on their performance, potentially using summarization to reduce routing table

size.

5. Alignment with Professional Standards and Codes:

Adhering to RFC 1812 standards may require interpreting complex technical language. A

problem could involve interpreting a specific guideline and applying it to the subnet design,

ensuring that subnets are aligned with the standard's recommendations for efficient

addressing.

6. Stakeholders' Constraints:

Balancing stakeholder needs can lead to trade-offs. For instance, ensuring efficient IP

utilization might require smaller subnets, potentially complicating routing and management

for network administrators seeking ease of configuration and maintenance.

7. Interdependence of Subproblems:

Changes in subnet sizes can affect routing efficiency. For instance, smaller subnets may

introduce more routing entries and complexity in routing tables, impacting the efficiency

of routing protocols like OSPF.