what does a subnet mask do? course hero

The subnet mask splits the IP address into the host and network addresses, thereby defining which part of the IP address belongs to the device and which part belongs to the network. The device called a gateway or default gateway connects local devices to other networks.

Full Answer

What is a Class A subnet mask?

A Class A subnet mask reflects the network portion in the first octet and leaves octets 2, 3, and 4 for the network manager to divide into hosts and subnets as needed. Class A is for networks with more than 65,536 hosts. A Class B subnet mask claims the first two octets for the network, leaving the remaining part of the address, ...

How does a subnet work?

This means that when a local device wants to send information to a device at an IP address on another network, it first sends its packets to the gateway, which then forwards the data on to its destination outside of the local network. What is Subnet Mask?

How many binary bits are in a subnet mask?

The 32 binary bits are divided into the host and network sections by the subnet mask but they are also broken into four 8-bit octets. Because binary is challenging, we convert each octet so they are expressed in dot decimal.

What is the difference between Class A and Class B subnets?

Class A is for networks with more than 65,536 hosts. A Class B subnet mask claims the first two octets for the network, leaving the remaining part of the address, the 16 bits of octets 3 and 4, for the subnet and host part.

What does a subnet mask do?

A subnet mask is used to divide an IP address into two parts. One part identifies the host (computer), the other part identifies the network to which it belongs.

What is a subnet mask used for quizlet?

Subnet Mask. identifies which bits in the IP address are to be used to represent the network/subnet portion of an IP address.

What is the subnet mask for class?

Default Subnet MaskIP Address ClassDefault Subnet MaskClass A255.0.0.0Class B255.255.0.0Class C255.255.255.0

What is the subnet mask for a Class B IP address quizlet?

The default subnet mask for a Class B is 255.255.

How long is a subnet mask quizlet?

Subnet masks are always 32 binary digits long.

What is your subnet mask?

On Windows Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre. Click on your network name and then click Details. You will find the subnet mask along with other network details.

Why is the subnet mask important in determining the network address?

The mask is important as hosts on the same network can talk to each other without a router whereas if they are on a different network then they need a router. So if we incorrectly configure two hosts which are on the same physical network with the following IP addresses and mask.

What is a subnet mask example?

Subnet masks are also expressed in dot-decimal notation like an IP address. For example, the prefix 198.51. 100.0/24 would have the subnet mask 255.255. 255.0. Traffic is exchanged between subnetworks through routers when the routing prefixes of the source address and the destination address differ.

Are subnets and subnet masks the same thing?

No, while subnet masks are an essential part of subnets, they are not the same thing.

Why use subnetting?

Subnetting serves a number of purposes. From giving administrators more control over their networks and improving their networks’ performance. To boosting security and making more efficient use of IP addresses. Here are some of the key benefits.

How does subnetting really work?

Networks use Internet Protocol addresses to identify specific pieces of hardware, like servers or computers. Subnetting allows a network that has one public IP address to split into a number of smaller networks. Each with a unique internal IP address.

How do IP addresses and subnet masks relate?

Devices on an IPv4 network can each be uniquely identified by a 32-bit IP address. These 32 binary bits contain the host address and the network address, which are identified by the subnet mask.

How do IP classes and subnet masks relate?

Networks come in different sizes. Some require access for just a few hosts. Others need to offer access to many thousands of hosts. Because of this, there are different classes of IP addresses. They make space for class A networks, class B networks, and class C networks.

How do network addresses and subnet masks relate?

For IPv4 addresses, each of the different classes of the network has a different default mask:

Conclusion

Understanding what a subnet mask is may be impossible until you begin to understand how IP addresses work and why networks use subnetting. That’s why the answer to what a subnet mask is isn’t completely straightforward.

Why is subnet mask used?

The phrase “mask” is applied because the subnet mask essentially uses its own 32-bit number to mask the IP address.

What is subnet mask?

The IP address, subnet mask and gateway or router comprise an underlying structure—the Internet Protocol— that most networks use to facilitate inter-device communication. When organizations need additional subnetworking, subnetting divides the host element of the IP address further into a subnet. The goal of subnet masks are simply to enable ...

Why is subnetting important?

Subnetting enables an organization to conceal network complexity and reduce network traffic by adding subnets without a new network number. When a single network number must be used across many segments of a local area network (LAN), subnetting is essential.

What is a class B subnet?

Class B is for networks with 256 to 65,534 hosts. In a Class C subnet mask, the network portion is the first three octets with the hosts and subnets in just the remaining 8 bits of octet 4. Class C is for smaller networks with fewer than 254 hosts. Class A, B, and C networks have natural masks, or default subnet masks:

What is the default subnet mask for Class A?

Class A, B, and C networks have natural masks, or default subnet masks: Class A: 255.0.0.0. Class B: 255.255.0.0. Class C: 255.255.255.0. You can determine the number and type of IP addresses any given local network requires based on its default subnet mask.

How does an addressing scheme work?

Since the internet must accommodate networks of all sizes, an addressing scheme for a range of networks exists based on how the octets in an IP address are broken down. You can determine based on the three high-order or left-most bits in any given IP address which of the five different classes of networks, A to E, the address falls within.