A subnet is a network within a network. Learn how subnetting makes network routing more efficient, and explore how subnet masks and IP address classes work. Subnetting and creating subnet masks is often outsourced to consultants, but doing it yourself can be both challenging and rewarding.

Understanding the Context

In the IT world, specifically in networking, there aren’t many ... In this next episode of NetworkChuck’s you SUCK at Subnetting course, we dive a bit deeper into how RFC1918 and NAT saved the internet from crumbling due to IP address exhaustion. So don’t miss out as ... Subnetting is the process of dividing a large IP network into smaller logical networks called subnets.

Key Insights

Each subnet allows devices to communicate efficiently, improving network performance, security, and manageability. The act of dividing a network into at least two separate networks is called subnetting, and routers are devices that allow traffic exchange between subnetworks, serving as a physical boundary. Subnetting always flows in a single direction (left to right) without skipping any bit. This simple rule gives us the exact location of subnetting bits in an address space. There are basically three types of subnetting questions that will be asked in our practice section, on any exam, or you need to answer in real life.

Final Thoughts

We will go over these question types and show you how to use the cheat sheet to find the answer very quickly. Subnetting is the process of designating some high-order bits from the host part as part of the network prefix and adjusting the subnet mask appropriately. This divides a network into smaller subnets.