Acquiring Expertise in Subnetting Through Hands-On Practices That Will Improve Your Network Design

The ability to subnetwork networks is essential for network administrators and engineers because it enables more effective IP address allocation and network design. Subnetting is a technique that improves network efficiency and address utilization by segmenting a large network into a number of smaller networks that are easier to administer. In this book, we will delve into practical subnetting tasks that will enable you to learn this key networking topic and increase your talents as a network designer. These exercises will be presented in a way that makes them easily applicable in real-world situations.

 

Understanding Subnetting Basics

 

Let’s go over some principles of subnetting before we go on to the activities in the practical book. The process of subnetting includes dividing an IP address range into a number of smaller sub-networks, each of which has its own subnet mask. This procedure generates distinct broadcast domains, which in turn minimizes the amount of traffic on the network and increases its level of security. The subnet mask is used to establish how the IP address range is split between the network and host sections of the address space. It also affects the number of available host addresses in each subnet.

 

Exercices in the Real World Application of Subnetting

 

Exercise 1: Separating an IP Address of Class C into Different Subnets

If you have a range of IP addresses for Class C computers that starts with 192.168.1.0/24, you should divide that range into six equal subnets while trying to maximize the number of host addresses in each subnet.

 

The solution requires determining the subnet mask that supports a minimum of six subnets so that the Class C IP address 192.168.1.0/24 can be partitioned into six different subnets. Because the product of two threes is eight, we require three bits to accommodate six subnets because the product of two threes is eight, but two of the subnets are reserved for the network and broadcast addresses.

 

255.255.255.224 is the subnet mask, also written as /27 in CIDR notation.

 

• Subnet 1: 192.168.1.0/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.30)
• Subnet 2: 192.168.1.32/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.33 – 192.168.1.62)
• Subnet 3: 192.168.1.64/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.65 – 192.168.1.94)
• Subnet 4: 192.168.1.96/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.97 – 192.168.1.126)
• Subnet 5: 192.168.1.128/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.129 – 192.168.1.158)
• Subnet 6: 192.168.1.160/27 (Usable IP range: 192.168.1.161 – 192.168.1.190)

 

Subnetting a Class B IP Address Using a Range of Different Subnet Sizes is the Topic of the Second Exercise.

If you are given the IP address range 172.16.0.0/16 for Class B networks, you should split it into three different subnets of varied widths.

 

Solution: In order to divide the Class B IP address 172.16.0.0/16 into three subnets of different sizes, we need to figure out which subnet masks are necessary to obtain the number of host addresses that we want in each subnet.

 

• Subnet 1 requires a minimum of one hundred different host addresses.
• Subnet 2: Requires at least 50 host addresses
• Subnet 3: Requires at least 20 host addresses

 

To ensure that we can fulfill the requirements, we use subnet masks that contain the required number of host bits:

 

• 255.255.255.128 is the address of Subnet 1, sometimes written as /25 in CIDR notation. – Provides 128 host addresses
• 255.255.255.192 is the address of Subnet 2, also written as /26 in CIDR notation. – Provides 64 host addresses
• 255.255.255.240 is the address of Subnet 3, also written as /28 in CIDR notation. – Provides 16 host addresses

 

Subnet 1: 172.16.0.0/25 (Usable IP range: 172.16.0.1 – 172.16.0.126)

Subnet 2: 172.16.0.128/26 (Usable IP range: 172.16.0.129 – 172.16.0.190)

Subnet 3: 172.16.0.192/28 (Usable IP range: 172.16.0.193 – 172.16.0.206)

 

Subnetting of Variable Length is the Third Exercise

Create subnets of varied length, using 10.0.0.0/8 as the Class A IP address range, so that you may handle a variety of different department sizes.

 

In variable-length subnetting, the number of subnet masks that are allotted to each department is determined by the number of host addresses that are necessary for that department.

 

The Subnet for Department A must have at least 500 different host addresses.

Subnet for Department B must have a minimum of 200 host addresses.

Subnet for Department C must have at least fifty different host addresses.

 

To ensure that we can fulfill the requirements, we use subnet masks that contain the required number of host bits:

 

Provides 512 host addresses and is the subnet for Department A; its address is 255.255.254.0 (or /23 in CIDR notation).

Provides 256 host addresses and is the subnet for Department B; its address is 255.255.255.0 (or /24 in CIDR notation).

Provides 64 host addresses and is the subnet for Department C; its address is 255.255.255.192 (or /26 in CIDR notation).

 

• Subnet for Department A: 10.0.0.0/23 (Usable IP range: 10.0.0.1 – 10.0.1.254)
• Subnet for Department B: 10.0.2.0/24 (Usable IP range: 10.0.2.1 – 10.0.2.254)
• Subnet for Department C: 10.0.3.0/26 (Usable IP range: 10.0.3.1 – 10.0.3.62)

 

Conclusion

 

The ability to subnetwork networks is essential for network administrators because it enables more effective IP address allocation and better overall network design. subnetting practice for partitioning IP address ranges of Class C, Class B, and Class A into smaller subnets of varied sizes have been investigated by having participants carry out a series of practical tasks. Network professionals can subnet their networks with confidence, improve address use, and boost overall network performance if they master these exercises and make them a part of their routine. A mastery of subnetting equips network managers with the ability to construct networks that are scalable, secure, and capable of meeting the diverse needs of modern enterprises.