


This method also helps you to extend the existing IP address base & restructures the IP address. It also helps you to reduce the size of the routing tables, which is stored in routers. This method divides a network into smaller subnets. IP Subnetting designates high-order bits from the host as part of the network prefix. It increases routing efficiency, which helps to enhance the security of the network and reduces the size of the broadcast domain. Ip address 1.1.1.2 is the practice of dividing a network into two or smaller networks. With a Cisco router point to point connection, a /3'02 bit network in use would look like: Also, this example completely applies to a point to point private network leased line (not on the Internet).Īgain, the /30 subnet mask provides the most efficient use of IP addresses by not wasting any IP addresses when it is applies to a point to point network connection. Then you need a network address so that that entire network can be represented in a routing table.Ī /30 subnet mask that only provides 2 useable IP addresses put to work on a network with only 2 devices - a point to point T1 Internet circuit. There are only 2 routers on that circuit, each connecting to each other. An Internet circuit is treated like a point to point WAN circuit. You setup the router and connect to the ISP's router. While this idea seems silly for IP Addressing on a LAN, it is actually perfect for IP addressing on WAN connections or any router to router connections.įor example, take an Internet T1 circuit. With a /30 bit subnet mask providing us 2 useable IP addresses, Think of a network where there are only 2 hosts. The point of proper IP address design is that you don't use any more IP addresses than are absolutely needed. How can /30 bit subnet masks help in in IP addressing the WAN? In other words, our network would look like this: If you apply the hosts formula, you get 2^2 = 4 - 2 = 2 useable IP addresses. This is calculated 2^8 (or 2 to the 8th power) = 256 - 2 = 254.Ī /30 bit mask would be 30 one's, leaving just 2 zero's that could be used for host addressing. These two are the same because if you translate 255.255.255.0 to binary, you get 11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000, or 24 one's.Ī /24 bit subnet mask has 254 usable IP addresses + 1 for the broadcast + 1 for the network.

It is much easier to type /24 than it is to type 255.255.255.0. This is a /24 subnet mask in "slash notation".
