How To Find Subnet Mask On Phone

Subnetting tin seem complicated, only with this subnet crook sheet you lot should be well on your way to creating and managing subnets with ease. The subnetting tutorial below contains fundamental tips for the process. After outlining what IP addresses are and how they work, nosotros'll accept a look at what subnetting is. I'll encompass key components and processes such as subnet classes and subnet masking and organizing and managing subnets. All of the concepts in this subnetting guide are broken down into small parts, to make this topic every bit digestible as possible.

Table of Contents:

What Are Subnets Used For?
What Is an IP Address?
What Is an IP Class?
Subnet Mask Cheat Sheet: What Is Subnet Masking?
Using Subnets to Organize and Optimize Your Network
Subnetting Tutorial: Commonly Asked Questions
How Can Subnetting Be Managed More than Hands?
Best Subnetting Tool

What Are Subnets Used for?

Subnets offering a way of organizing your network to help to reduce network congestion. When you have a lot of traffic flowing betwixt particular parts of your network, it tin can help to grouping those parts in a single department, so the traffic doesn't have to travel across the entire network to get from place to place. Separating out small parts of your network into subnets allows traffic to menstruum more than speedily and to avoid taking unnecessary routes, calculation traffic where it isn't needed.

In addition, subnetting helps in efficiently allocating IP addresses and prevents large numbers of IP addresses from going unused. Subnets are commonly gear up up geographically for item offices, or for particular teams within a business to let their network traffic to stay within the location.

subnetting advantages

What Is an IP Accost?

Before nosotros can offset to sympathize how subnets work and how to manage them, information technology's of import to take a strong grasp on how IP addresses work. An IP address is essentially an identifier for any device connected to a network. At that place are two kinds of IP address: IPv4 (version 4) and IPv6 (version 6). An example of an IPv4 address is:

216.27.61.137

An IPv4 address uses 32 binary bits to express the identifier of the device. To make the binary bits expression easier to understand, the 32 bits are split into four groups of eight, and then each grouping is turned into a decimal number. These 4 groups are separated by a dot, as y'all can see in the example above.

IPv6 addresses are made up of 128 binary bits. These bits are separated into eight groups, and each grouping is separated by a colon. An example of an IPv6 address is:

2001:cdba:0000:0000:0000:0000:3257:9652

In normal employ, the groups consisting entirely of the number zero are removed and replaced past a colon to shorten the IP accost for ease of use.

IPv6 was created considering 232 combinations were possible in IPv4, assuasive upwards to four.iii billion unique IP addresses. As the internet and number of devices grew, new combinations of numbers became necessary. IPv6 allows upward to ii,128 combinations, which has expanded the number of possible unique IP addresses significantly.

IP addresses can be shared with one other device, multicast to multiple other devices, or broadcast to everyone—in other words, public. IP addresses tin can also exist dynamic or static. A static IP address means a particular device has an IP address assigned to information technology, which doesn't alter. A dynamic IP address ways when a device joins a network it's assigned an bachelor IP address, which could alter each time the device connects.

Dorsum to meridian

What Is an IP Class?

Now that we've looked at what an IP address is, the next thing to consider is IP classes, as these are essential for understanding how subnets work.

Say you're trying to find one particular IP accost, or organize IP addresses on your network. This would be an impossible chore without some kind of system. IP addresses are divided into numerical sections to help you detect what you're looking for more rapidly. These sections are called classes. IP addresses are divided into three classes: A, B, and C.

Class A: IP addresses are those between 0.0.0.0 and 127.255.255.255.
Class B: IP addresses are those between 128.0.0.0 and 191.255.255.255.
Course C: IP addresses are those between 192.0.0.0 and 223.255.255.255.

If you're trying to determine the class of an IP accost, you demand to wait at the first number. If the first number is 1 through 127, information technology'll be a grade A address. If the first number is 128 through 191, it'due south a class B address. Finally, if it'south 192 through 223, it's a class C address.

Depending on the IP address class, dissimilar portions of the IP address are used to designate the network and the host. For example, class A only uses viii bits of the IP accost for the network, leaving 24 for the host. So, using the example 126.27.61.137, the network IP address would be 126.0.0.0 and the host address would be 0.27.61.137.

For a class C address, 24 $.25 are used for the network, and 8 remain for the host. Using 200.23.65.1 as an example, this would result in 200.23.65.0 for the network and 0.0.0.x for the host.

For networks such as a TCP/IP network to function, the routers passing data throughout the network don't need to know the exact host address. They only need to know the network portion of the IP accost; then, once the packet is delivered to the host's network, information technology tin can get to the correct host.

Subnet Mask Cheat Sail: What Is Subnet Masking?

Each IP address course has a matching "subnet mask," which is an easy manner of identifying which part of the IP accost 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 grade are as follows:

Class A:0.0.0
Class B:255.0.0
Course C:255.255.0

When nosotros expect at the subnet masks and convert the decimal numbers back into binary, we can see which $.25 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. And then a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 would be converted to:

11111111.11111111.11111111.0000000

When yous match this with an IP address, such every bit 192.168.123.132, you lot tin can make up one's mind 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 exist candy every bit role of the network then delivered to the 0.0.0.132 host.

Back to tiptop

Using Subnets to Organize and Optimize Your Network

Essentially, a subnet is a smaller portion of the network inside class A, B, or C. Creating and using subnets can help to keep your network organized and functional.

Let's suppose a business wants to utilize four different IP address blocks for the dissimilar segments of its network, with 50 hosts per segment. The business uses the post-obit IP address blocks:

200.1.0.0

200.i.1.0

200.1.2.0

200.ane.3.0

Each IP address block tin create 254 IP addresses, which allows 254 x 4 full IP addresses to be created for use in the network. This amounts to 1,016 IP addresses. But the business organization but wants 50 hosts on each cake, so information technology'll have 816 IP addresses that don't go used at all. This is a waste of IP addresses that could be used by other devices. Subnetting is a mode to divide an IP address block into smaller portions, and so fewer IP addresses are wasted.

We know for the get-go IP address, 200.one.0.0, 200.1.0 is the network portion, and .0 is the host portion. The full IP address in the 32 binary $.25 would wait like:

11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000

But we know we don't need all 254 hosts created by this IP accost block, so we can borrow some of the host "bits" to create a new "subnetwork," or subnet.

Using the 11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000 instance, we would borrow one "bit" from the host portion to create a subnet.

So:

11001000.00000001.00000000.00000000

would get:

11001000.00000001.00000000.10000000

As a effect, 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. Vii bits in the host portion allow 128 IP addresses to be created, which is nonetheless more than enough for the business's needs. If we follow through the process and borrow another chip from the host portion of the IP address, 4 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 instance above.

There are ii hosts reserved for the IP addresses needed for the network identity itself (the first IP) and the broadcast address (the concluding IP). So for each IP address block, just 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, information technology can exist difficult to tell where the network portion ends and the host portion begins. With a subnet mask, you lot tin specify which portions of the subnet are the network and which portions are the host.

For instance, for the IP address 200.1.0.64 created in a higher place, 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 outset of the last portion of the subnet mask, resulting in the "192" portion, shows the get-go ii bits of the host portion of the IP accost belong to the subnet, instead of the host.

Subnetting Tutorial: Ordinarily Asked Questions

Edifice on this agreement of subnets and how they work, the post-obit subnetting crook sheet will accost how to navigate, empathise, and manage them.

How Many Hosts Tin You Have in Your Subnet?

Determining how many hosts you lot tin can have in your subnet is important, as you don't desire to end up with a subnet also small to host all the IP addresses you lot demand, or one too big and resulting in a lot of wastage.

Y'all can effigy out how many hosts yous can accept in your subnet by subtracting the number of network bits from the number of total $.25: in other words, 32 total bits, minus the number of network $.25. Let's utilise 26 equally an example.

A subnet with 26 network bits has six bits bachelor for the host IP addresses. You and so also need to subtract 2 IP addresses for the network IP itself and the broadcast address.

Then, the formula is as follows:

two^^32-26– 2 = 2^⁶– 2 = 62

You lot can utilise this with any number of network $.25 to make up one's mind how many bits you lot have bachelor to create hosts for your subnet.

How Practise You Know What Subnet an Accost Is On?

You also might want to quickly determine the subnet a given IP address is a function of.

Permit's look at the IP address 156.67.154.75/28. First, you demand to determine how many of the bits are allocated to the network and how many to the host. We already know, in this IP address, 28 are used for the network and 4 are for the host.

Then, you need to determine how large the subnet is, by taking the number of $.25 allocated to the host, and raising 2two to the power of that number. In the above example this is two^⁴, or sixteen. This is called the "cake size," considering it refers to the size of the subnet blocks into which the network has been divided. Y'all can apply this block size to count up from nix to determine which subnet cake the IP address belongs to.

For 156.67.154.75, you would first at 156.67.154.0 and go up by 16 at a time, as follows:

156.67.154.0/28

156.67.154.16/28

156.67.154.32/28

156.67.154.48/28

When counting further up, you tin can run across 156.67.154.75 falls in between the ii subnet blocks:

156.67.154.64/28

156.67.154.fourscore/28

This ways the 156.67.154.75 IP accost is in the subnet beginning with 156.67.154.64, considering .80 would be likewise high.

This tin accept a flake of exercise. Merely think to get-go determine the number of bits in the IP address allocated to the hosts, and then have the number 2 and raise it by the number of bits allocated to hosts. Any number you get is the block size, and you tin then count up within the IP address by the block size, until y'all notice two blocks the IP address falls betwixt. The IP address is in the lower subnet of those two blocks.

How Do You Make up one's mind Whether Two Addresses Are in the Same Subnet?

You lot may want to effigy out whether two addresses are in the same subnet. The first stride in doing and so entails determining the size of the subnet cake. Then, you calculate the valid host range to encounter if the second address falls within the aforementioned range.

Here'southward an example of this process, using the following 2 IP addresses:

10.21.45.137/xiii

10.23.156.198/13

Yous can see the number of network bits is xiii, which means the subnet must be prepare in the 2nd octet, or the 2nd part of the IP address.

Then, we can brainstorm with the IP address 10.0.0.0/13.

Nosotros can also determine the subnet block size, by taking the number of bits allocated to the host and raising two to the power of that number. And then, with a maximum of 16 $.25 in the starting time two octets, the subnet block size is 2^{^(16-xiii)}= 8.

You can then work through the subnet blocks, increasing by eight at a time:

ten.0.0.0/13

10.viii.0.0/xiii

10.sixteen.0.0/13

10.24.0.0/13

Since 10.21.45.137/xiii and 10.23.156.198/13 are both between 10.sixteen.0.0/13 and 10.24.0.0/xiii, they are both on the same subnet.

How Tin can Subnetting Be Managed More Easily?

I way to simplify the procedure of managing your subnets is past using a tool. My recommendation is SolarWinds^® IP Address Director (IPAM), which has several features to automate and streamline this process.

managing your subnets

IPAM includes an automated subnet discovery wizard assuasive y'all to discover and collect information on all of your subnets, showing you lot which IP addresses are role of each ane. If y'all have all of your subnet and IP address data in spreadsheets, IPAM can easily import these.

It also includes a subnet allocation magician, which looks at the traffic and size of your network, and and so optimizes your IP addresses into subnets suiting your needs. The interface allows you lot to group and organize your subnets and IP addresses in a way that makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to find the information y'all need.

For creating subnets, IPAM gives yous the ability to simply select a network, group, or supernet you want to subnet. Through an easy-to-use interface, y'all can choose to proper name the subnet, requite information technology an address, and give information technology custom properties if you want. This simplifies the subnetting creation procedure and helps you to customize and organize your subnets from the start.

SolarWinds IPAM includes a dashboard showing yous the scope of your IP subnet and its utilization and can create alerts to let yous know when a subnet is getting full or when you have a subnet with a huge amount of unused space. Using the IP address view, network view, or chart view, you can proceeds unlike perspectives on how your network is operation and how your IP addresses are allocated. This can help you to optimize your subnets and reduce IP address wastage.

I hope my IP subnet cheat canvass has given you a greater understanding of subnetting. This subnetting guide has covered how subnets work, the core concepts behind them, and the basics of subnetting. It has as well answered some key questions about problems with subnets and looked at how tools tin aid you to manage your subnets more easily. My recommended tool for this purpose is SolarWinds IP Address Manager, a robust software enabling you to allocate IP addresses into subnets, and monitor and manage them, with efficiency. A xxx-mean solar day gratis trial lets you lot try the fully functional program without risk.