Subnetting Based on Network Requirement

Step 1. Identify the class of IP address and note the default subnet mask.
Step 2. Convert the default subnet mask into binary.
Step 3. Note the number of networks required and convert it into binary.
Step 4. Borrow bits from the host part of the default subnet mask from left right to right. The number of bits
to be borrowed will depend on how many bits are needed to represent the required number of networks.
Step 5. Find the increment of each subnets and its octet position.
Step 6. Generate the new subnet mask.
Step 7. Use the increment to generate the network ranges of each subnets in the appropriate octet position.

Example Problem:
Subnet the IP address 216.21.5.0 into 3 networks.

Step 1. Identify the class of IP address and note the default subnet mask.
IP Class: C
Default Subnet Mask: 255 . 255 . 255 . 0
Step 2. Convert the default subnet mask into binary.
Subnet Mask Binary Representation: 11111111 . 11111111 . 11111111 . 00000000
Step 3. Note the number of networks required and convert it into binary.
Number of Required Networks: 3
Binary Representation of Network Requirement: 1 1
Step 4. Borrow bits from the host part of the default subnet mask from left right to right. The number of bits
to be borrowed will depend on how many bits are needed to represent the required number of networks.

Since it needs 2 bits to represent 3 in binary, borrow 2 bits from the host part of subnet mask from
left to right.
11111111 . 11111111 . 11111111 . 11000000

Step 5. Find the increment of each subnets and its octet position. The increment is the last bit of network
part in subnet mask.
The increment is the last bit of network part in subnet mask.
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1

Increment: 64
 Octet Position: 4
Step 6. Generate the new subnet mask.
New Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
Step 7. Use the increment to generate the network ranges of each subnets in the appropriate octet position.

Subnet 1: 216.21.5.0 – 216.21.5.63

Network Address: 216.21.5.0
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.63
Number of Hosts: 62
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.1
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.62

Subnet 2: 216.21.5.64 – 216.21.5.127

Network Address: 216.21.5.64
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.127
Number of Hosts: 62
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.65
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.126

Subnet 3: 216.21.5.128 – 216.21.5.191

Network Address: 216.21.5.128
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.191
Number of Hosts: 62
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.129
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.190
Subnetting Based on Host Requirement

Step 1. Identify the class of IP address and note the default subnet mask.
Step 2. Convert the default subnet mask into binary.
Step 3. Note the number of hosts required each subnet and convert it into binary.
Step 4. Reserve bits from the host part of the default subnet mask from right to left. The number of bits to be
reserved will depend on how many bits are needed to represent the required host in each subnet.
Step 5. Find the increment of each subnets and its octet position.
Step 6. Generate the new subnet mask.
Step 7. Use the increment to generate the network ranges of each subnets in the appropriate octet position.

Example Problem:
Subnet the IP address 216.21.5.0 into 30 hosts in each subnet.

Step 1. Identify the class of IP address and note the default subnet mask.
IP Class: C
Default Subnet Mask: 255 . 255 . 255 . 0
Step 2. Convert the default subnet mask into binary.
Subnet Mask Binary Representation: 11111111 . 11111111 . 11111111 . 00000000
Step 3. Note the number of hosts required each subnet and convert it into binary.
Number of Host Required Each Subnet: 30
Binary Representation of Host Requirement: 1 1 1 1 0
Step 4. Reserve bits from the host address of the default subnet mask from right to left. The number of bits
to be reserved will depend on how many bits are needed to represent the required host in each subnet.

Since it needs 5 bits to represent 30 in binary, reserve 5 bits from the host part of subnet mask from
right to left.
11111111 . 11111111 . 11111111 . 11100000
Step 5. Find the increment of each subnets and its octet position.
The increment is the last bit of network part in subnet mask.
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1

Increment: 32
 Octet Position: 4

Step 6. Generate the new subnet mask.

New Subnet Mask: 255 . 255 . 255 . 224

Step 7. Use the increment to generate the network ranges of each subnets in the appropriate octet position.

Subnet 1: 216.21.5.0 – 216.21.5.31

Network Address: 216.21.5.0
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.31
Number of Hosts: 30
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.1
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.30

Subnet 2: 216.21.5.32 – 216.21.5.63

Network Address: 216.21.5.32
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.63
Number of Hosts: 30
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.33
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.62

Subnet 3: 216.21.5.64 – 216.21.5.95

Network Address: 216.21.5.64
Broadcast Address: 216.21.5.95
Number of Hosts: 30
First Usable Address: 216.21.5.65
Last Usable Address: 216.21.5.94