Chapter 8:

Subnetting IP Networks

CCNA Routing and Switching

Introduction to Networks v6.0

Chapter 8 - Sections & Objectives
 8.1 Subnetting an IPv4 Network
• Implement an IPv4 addressing scheme to enable end-to-end connectivity in a small to
medium-sized business network.
• Explain how subnetting segments a network to enable better communication.
• Explain how to calculate IPv4 subnets for a /24 prefix.
• Explain how to calculate IPv4 subnets for a /16 and /8 prefix.
• Given a set of requirements for subnetting, implement an IPv4 addressing scheme.
• Explain how to create a flexible addressing scheme using variable length subnet masking (VLSM).
 8.2 Addressing Schemes
• Given a set of requirements, implement a VLSM addressing scheme to provide
connectivity to end users in a small to medium-sized network.
• Implement a VLSM addressing scheme.

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Chapter 8 - Sections & Objectives (Cont.)
 8.3 Address Schemes
• Explain design considerations for implementing IPv6 in a business network.
• Explain how to implement IPv6 address assignments in a business network.

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8.1 Subnetting an IPv4
Network

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Network Segmentation
Broadcast Domains
 Devices use broadcasts in an Ethernet LAN to locate:
• Other devices - Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) which sends Layer 2 broadcasts to a known IPv4
address on the local network to discover the associated MAC address.
• Services – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) which sends broadcasts on the local network
to locate a DHCP server.
 Switches propagate broadcasts out all interfaces except the interface on which it was received.

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Network Segmentation
Problems with Large Broadcast Domains
 Hosts can generate excessive broadcasts and negatively affect the network.
• Slow network operations due to the significant amount of traffic it can cause.
• Slow device operations because a device must accept and process each broadcast packet.
 Solution: Reduce the size of the network to create smaller broadcast domains. These smaller
network spaces are called subnets.

One
Broadcast Broadcast in Broadcast in
Domain LAN 1 LAN 2
contained in contained in
1 subnet 1 subnet

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Network Segmentation
Reasons for Subnetting
 Reduces overall network traffic and improves network performance.

 Enables an administrator to implement security policies such as which subnets are allowed or not
allowed to communicate together. Communicating between
Networks

Subnetting by Location

Subnetting by Device Type

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Octet Boundaries

Networks
are most
easily
subnetted
at the
octet
boundary
of /8, /16,
and /24

 Prefix length and the subnet mask are different ways of identifying the network
portion of an address.
 Subnets are created by borrowing host bits for network bits.
 More host bits borrowed, the more subnets that can be defined.

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Subnetting on the Octet Boundary

 Subnetting Network 10.x.0.0/16

 Define up to 256 subnets with each subnet capable of connecting 65,534 hosts.
 First two octets identify the network portion while the last two octets are for host IP addresses.

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Subnetting on the Octet Boundary (Cont.)

 Subnetting Network 10.x.x.0/24

 Define 65,536 subnets each capable of connecting 254 hosts.
 /24 boundary is very popular in subnetting because of number of hosts.
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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Classless Subnetting
Subnetting a /24 Network

Subnets can borrow bits from any host bit position to create other masks.
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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – The Subnet Mask
Subnetting in Binary
 ANDING
• Convert IP address and Subnet Mask to Binary (line up vertically like an addition problem)
• Logically AND (1 and 1 = 1, all other combinations = 0)
• Result is network address for original IP address
 Classful Subnetting
• Class A /8 255.0.0.0
• Class B /16 255.255.0.0
• Class C /24 255.255.255.0

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – The Subnet Mask (Cont.)

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Subnetting with the Magic Number

 Magic number technique used to calculate subnets

 Magic number is simply the place value of the last one in the subnet mask

 /25 11111111.11111111.11111111.10000000 magic number = 128

 /26 11111111.11111111.11111111.11000000 magic number = 64

 /27 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000 magic number = 32

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Subnetting with the Magic Number (Cont.)

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Subnetting with the Magic Number (Cont.)

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Classless Subnetting Example

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Creating 2 Subnets
 /25 Subnetting Topology

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Creating Two Equal-sized Subnets (/25)
Create 2 Equal-sized Subnets from 192.168.1.0 /24
 Subnet Mask - 11111111.11111111.11111111.10000000

 Magic Number = 128

 192.168.1.0 /25 (start at 0)

 192.168.1.128 /25 (Add 128)

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Subnetting Formulas

Calculate Number of Subnetting a /24 Network

Subnets Formula

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Subnetting Formulas (Cont.)

Calculate Number of
Calculating the Number of Hosts
Hosts Formula

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Creating 4 Subnets
 /26 Subnetting Topology

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Creating 4 Subnets (Cont.)
 /26 Subnetting Topology

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Creating 4 Subnets (Cont.)
 /26 Subnetting Topology

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Creating Four Equal-sized Subnets (/26)
Create 4 Equal-sized Subnets from 192.168.1.0 /24
 Subnet Mask in Binary – 11111111.11111111.11111111.11000000

 2^2 = 4 Subnets

 Magic Number = 64

 192.168.1.0 /26

 192.168.1.64 /26

 192.168.1.128 /26

 192.168.1.192 /26

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Subnetting an IPv4 Network
Video Demonstration – Creating Eight Equal-sized Subnets (/27)

Create 8 Equal-sized Subnets from 192.168.1.0 /24

 Borrow 3 bits – 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000

 Magic Number = 32
 192.168.1.0 /27 (Start at 0)
 192.168.1.32 /27 (Add 32 to previous network)
 192.168.1.64 /27 (Add 32)
 192.168.1.96 /27 (Add 32)
 192.168.1.128 /27 (Add 32)
 192.168.1.160 /27 (Add 32)
 192.168.1.192 /27 (Add 32)
 192.168.1.224 /27 (Add 32)

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Creating Subnets with a /16 prefix

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Creating 100 Subnets with a /16 prefix

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Calculating the Hosts

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Video Demonstration – Creating One Hundred Equal-sized Subnets
 An enterprise network requires 100 equal-sized subnets
starting from 172.16.0.0/16
• New Subnet Mask
• 11111111.11111111.11111110.00000000
• 2^7 = 128 Subnets
• 2^9 = 512 hosts per subnet
• Magic Number = 2
• 172.16.0.0 /23
• 172.16.2.0 /23
• 172.16.4.0 /23
• 172.16.6.0 /23
• …
• 172.16.254.0 /23

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Creating 1000 Subnets with a /8 Network

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Creating 1000 Subnets with a /8 Network (Cont.)

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Subnetting a /16 and /8 Prefix
Video Demonstration – Subnetting Across Multiple Octets

New Challenge Problem: Create

over 300 Equal-sized Subnets of
20,000 Hosts each starting from
10.0.0.0/8

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Subnetting to Meet Requirements
Subnetting Based on Host Requirements

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Subnetting to Meet Requirements
Subnetting Based On Network Requirements

Host devices
used by
employees in
the Engineering
department in
one network
and
Management in
a separate
network.

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Subnetting to Meet Requirements
Network Requirement Example

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Subnetting to Meet Requirements
Network Requirement Example (Cont.)

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
Traditional Subnetting Wastes Addresses

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
Variable Length Subnet Masks (VLSM)
Traditional Subnets of Varying Sizes

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
Basic VLSM
Basic Subnetting

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
Video Demonstration – VLSM Basics
 Basic VLSM
• Subnets do not have to be equal sizes, as long
as their address ranges do not overlap.
• When creating subnets it is easier to work from
larger to smaller.

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
VLSM in Practice

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
VLSM Chart

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Benefits of Variable Length Subnet Masking
Video Demonstration – VLSM Example
 Given the network 172.16.0.0
/23 = 2^9 hosts = 512
/23 creates subnets: 256+128+64+32+16+16 = 512 hosts needed
• 1 network for 200 hosts - 256 Address range 172.16.0.0 – 172.16.1.255
• 1 network for 100 hosts - 128
• 1 network for 50 hosts - 64
• 1 network for 25 hosts - 32
• 1 network for 10 hosts - 16
• 4 point-to-point networks for 2
hosts each – 4x4 = 16
172.16.1.248 /30 (4)
172.16.1.252 /30 (4)

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8.2 Addressing Schemes

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Structured Design
Network Address Planning

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Structured Design
Planning to Address the Network
 Each host in an internetwork must have
a unique address.

 Need proper planning & documentation.

 Must provide & control access to servers

from internal hosts and external hosts.

 Layer 3 STATIC address assigned to a

server can be used to control access to
that server.

 Monitoring security and performance of

hosts means network traffic is examined
for source IP addresses that are
generating or receiving excessive
packets.
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Structured Design
Assigning Addresses to Devices
 Devices that require addresses:

• End user clients

• Can be set for DHCP to save time and
manual errors.
• A change in the subnetting scheme requires
reconfiguration of DHCP server. IPv6 clients
use DHCPv6/SLAAC.
• Servers
• Configured with static addresses.
• Private addresses translated to public
addresses if accessible from the Internet.
• Intermediary devices
• Set with static addresses for remote
management.
• Gateway
• Router interface used to exit the network.
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8.3 Design Considerations for IPv6

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Subnetting an IPv6 Network
The IPv6 Global Unicast Address
 IPv6 subnetting is not concerned
with conserving address space. Structure
 IPv6 subnetting is about building an
addressing hierarchy based on the
number of subnetworks needed.

 IPv6 link-local address is never

subnetted.

 IPv6 global unicast address can be

subnetted.
 IPv6 global unicast address
normally consists of a /48 global
routing prefix, a 16 bit subnet ID,
and a 64 bit interface ID.
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Subnetting an IPv6 Network
Subnetting Using the Subnet ID

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Subnetting an IPv6 Network
IPv6 Subnet Allocation

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8.4 Chapter Summary

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Conclusion
Chapter 8: Subnetting IP Networks
 Implement an IPv4 addressing scheme to enable end-to-end connectivity in a small to medium-
sized business network.

 Given a set of requirements, implement a VLSM addressing scheme to provide connectivity to end
users in a small to medium-sized network.

 Explain design considerations for implementing IPv6 in a business network.

© 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential 54