SUBNETTING AND HOW IT WORKS

A subnet, or subnetwork, is a network inside a network. Subnets make networks more efficient. Through
subnetting, network traffic can travel a shorter distance without passing through unnecessary routers to
reach its destination.

Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger network into smaller subnetworks or subnets. It offers several
benefits and is commonly used in network design and management. Here are some reasons why
subnetting is used:

1. Efficient Use of IP Addresses: Subnetting allows for the efficient allocation and utilization of IP
addresses. By dividing a network into smaller subnets, you can assign IP addresses to devices more
precisely, ensuring that addresses are not wasted. This is particularly important in scenarios
where IP address availability is limited, such as in organizations with a large number of devices.

2. Improved Network Performance: Subnetting helps improve network performance by reducing

network congestion and optimizing network traffic flow. By dividing a large network into smaller
subnets, network traffic is localized within each subnet, reducing the amount of broadcast and
multicast traffic that needs to be processed by devices outside the subnet. This results in better
network efficiency and faster data transmission.
 3. Enhanced Network Security: Subnetting enhances network security by isolating different
segments of a network. By dividing a network into subnets, you can create separate security
zones, each with its own security policies and access controls. This provides better control over
network access and limits the potential impact of security breaches or attacks, as they are
contained within specific subnets.

4. Simplified Network Management: Subnetting simplifies network management by breaking down

a larger network into smaller, more manageable units. Each subnet can have its own network
configuration, addressing scheme, and administrative control. This makes it easier to
troubleshoot network issues, implement changes, and apply network policies within specific
subnets, without affecting the entire network.

5. Scalability and Flexibility: Subnetting enables network scalability and flexibility. As a network
grows, new subnets can be created to accommodate additional devices or network segments.
Subnets can be easily added, modified, or extended without disrupting the entire network
infrastructure. This allows for greater adaptability to changing network requirements and future
growth.

6. Enhanced Network Segmentation: Subnetting facilitates network segmentation, which provides

logical separation of different departments, functions, or user groups within an organization. Each
subnet can be dedicated to specific purposes, such as separate subnets for finance, HR, and
engineering. This segmentation helps improve network performance, security, and management
by limiting the broadcast domain and controlling access between subnets.

Subnet Mask Cheat Sheet: What Is Subnet Masking?

Each IP address class has a matching “subnet mask,” which is an easy way of identifying which part of
the IP address relates to the network and which part relates to the host. This is essential to ensure
packets traveling through the network get to the right place.
The default matching subnet masks for each subnet class are as follows:

 Class A: 0.0.0
 Class B: 255.0.0
 Class C: 255.255.0
When we look at the subnet masks and convert the decimal numbers back into binary, we can see which
bits of the IP address are allocated to the network and which are allocated to the host.

In binary, 255 is 11111111, and 0 is 0.

So a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 would be converted to:
11111111.11111111.11111111.0000000
When you match this with an IP address, such as 192.168.123.132, you can determine the network portion
and the host portion of the IP address. Each “1” in the subnet mask exists for the bit portions of the IP
address allocated to the network, and each “0” exists for when a bit portion is allocated to the host.

Here is an example:
11111111.11111111.11111111.0000000 subnet mask

11000000.10101000.01111011.10000100 IP address 192.168.123.132 in binary)

This means the network portion of the subnet is 192.168.123, and the .132 is allocated to the host. When
information arrives on the 192.168.123.0 network, it’ll be processed as part of the network and then
delivered to the 0.0.0.132 host.

Using Subnets to Organize and Optimize Your Network

Essentially, a subnet is a smaller portion of the network within class A, B, or C. Creating and using subnets
can help to keep your network organized and functional.
Example of subnetting in 3 steps:

1. Hypothesis
Let’s suppose a business wants to use four different IP address blocks for the different segments of its
network, with 50 hosts per segment. The business uses the following IP address blocks:

200.1.0.0

200.1.1.0

200.1.2.0

200.1.3.0
2. Goal
Each IP address block can create 254 IP addresses, which allows 254 x 4 total IP addresses to be created
for use in the network. This amounts to 1,016 IP addresses. But the business only wants 50 hosts on each
block, so it’ll have 816 IP addresses that don’t get used at all. This is a waste of IP addresses that could be
used by other devices. Subnetting is a way to divide an IP address block into smaller portions, so fewer IP
addresses are wasted.

3. Execution
We know for the first IP address, 200.1.0.0, 200.1.0 is the network portion, and .0 is the host portion. The
full IP address in the 32 binary bits would look like:

11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000
But we know we don’t need all 254 hosts created by this IP address block, so we can borrow some of the
host “bits” to create a new “subnetwork,” or subnet.

Using the 11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000 example, we would borrow one “bit” from the host
portion to create a subnet.

So:

11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000
would become:
11001000.00000001.00000000.10000000
As a result, the new decimal IP address would become:
200.1.0.128
Borrowing this one bit from the host portion of the IP address still leaves seven bits in the host portion.
Seven bits in the host portion allow 128 IP addresses to be created, which is still more than enough for
the business’s needs. If we follow through the process and borrow another bit from the host portion of
the IP address, four subnets can be created:

11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000 200.1.0.0

11001000.00000001.00000000.01000000 200.1.0.64

11001000.00000001.00000000.10000000 200.1.0.128

11001000.00000001.00000000.11000000 200.1.0.192
These four subnets allow 64 IP addresses to be created, and there’s far less wastage than in the example
above.

There are two hosts reserved for the IP addresses needed for the network identity itself (the first IP) and
the broadcast address (the last IP). So for each IP address block, only 12 IP addresses are wasted.

This is where subnet masks come back in. If you’ve “borrowed” bits from the host portion of the IP
address, it can be hard to tell where the network portion ends and the host portion begins. With a subnet
mask, you can specify which portions of the subnet are the network and which portions are the host.

For example, for the IP address 200.1.0.64 created above, the subnet mask would be:

11111111.11111111.11111111.1100000 subnet mask 255.255.255.192

11001000.00000001.00000000.01000000 IP address 200.1.0.64 in binary

The “11” at the beginning of the final portion of the subnet mask, resulting in the “192” portion, shows
the first two bits of the host portion of the IP address belong to the subnet, instead of the host.

REFERENCES

https://www.dnsstuff.com/subnet-ip-subnetting-guide