Chapter

Subnets in TCP/IP Networks N. Ganesan, Ph.D.

Chapter Objectives

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Module
Introduction to Subnetting

Subnetting
Division of a network into subnets
For example, division of a Class B address into several Class C addresses

Some of the host IDs are used for creating subnet IDs

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Need for Subnetting

Classes A and B have a large number of hosts corresponding to each network ID It may be desirable to subdivide the hosts in Class C subnets Often, there is a limitation on the number of hosts that could be hosted on a single network segment
The limitation may be imposed by concerns related to the management of hardware

Smaller broadcast domains are more efficient and easy to manage

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Subnetting Principle
Use parts of the host IDs for subnetting purpose A subnet mask is used to facilitate the flow of traffic between the different subnets and the outside network (hops)
A hop is the distance a data packet travels form one node to the other

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Using Host IDs to Subnet

140 Class B Network 140 15 0 0 140 15 2 15 1 0 Subnet 1 0 Subnet 2 140 15 3 0 Subnet 3

Third octet is now used for subnet IDs

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Subnet Configuration
Subnet ID
140 15 1 0

140

15

..

140

15

254

First Host ID

Last Host ID

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Routing of Traffic
140.15.1.0 1

140.15.0.0

Routing

140.15.2.0

Outside world

140.15.3.0

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Subnets

End of Module

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Module
Subnetting Example

Subnetting Example
Consider the case of a class C address 195. 175.25.0 assigned to an organization Subnets can be constructed by allocating part of the higher-order bits of the host ID Assume that three of the higher-order bits of the host ID are to be reserved for that purpose
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Subnetting Structure
195 175 25 0

11100000

Subnet Mask

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Sub Net

Last Octet

Subnet ID

1 2
3
Usable Subnets (6)

00000000 00100000
01000000 01100000 10000000 10100000 11000000 11100000
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195.175.25.0 195.175.25.32
195.175.25.64 195.175.25.96 195.175.25.128 195.175.25.160 195.175.25.192 195.175.25.224

4 5 6 7 8

Sample Subnet Division

Subnet 1 195.175.25.32 Subnet 2 195.175.25.64

Router
195.175.25.33 195.175.25.65 . . 30 hosts per subnet. . . . . 195.175.25.62 195.175.25.94
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Total Number of Subnets and Hosts

All zeros and ones are not used
This has been overcome in the new RFC

Total number of subnets is 6 Number of hosts per subnet is 30 Subnet mask is 255.255.255.224
255.255.255.11100000

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End of Module

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Module
The Routing Process

Overview of the Masking Process

IP address and subnet masks are used for the masking operation The purpose of masking is to identify whether an IP address corresponds to a local host or a remote host The mathematical technique used is known as the ANDing process
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ANDing Process
Similar to the AND Boolean operator Consider A = B and C
A is true only when B and C are true Otherwise, A is false for all other scenarios

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ANDing Table
B
0 0 1 1

C
0 1 0 1

B AND C
0 0 0 1

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Subnet Masking
AND host IP and subnet mask value at startup to identify network ID AND destination IP address and subnet mask value determine either of the following:
IP represents local host IP represents remote host
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Subnet Masking Example

Subnet ID: 195.175.25.32 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.224 Host address
195.175.25.34

Case 1 destination address

195.175.25.40

Case 2 destination address

195.175.25.67
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Network Scenario
Outside World Local Host 195.175.25.40

Router

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.224 195.175.25.40 195.175.25.67

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Host 195.175.25.34

Computing Subnet ID at Startup

Host ID Subnet Mask 195 175 25 34 11000011 10101111 00011001 00100010 255 255 255 224

ANDing Result

11111111 11111111 11111111 11100000 195 175 25 32

11000011 10101111 00011001 00100000

Yields subnet ID.

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TCP/IP Properties of the Host

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Masking of Destination Address:Case 1

Destinati- 195 nation IP 11000011 Subnet 255 Mask 11111111 175 25 40 10101111 00011001 00101000 255 255 224

ANDing Result

195

11111111 11111111 11100000 175 25 32

11000011 10101111 00011001 00100000

Yields subnet ID to be that of the local subnet.

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Case 1 Forwarding of Data Packets

The destination host is local Broadcast for the hardware address of the local host at IP 195.175.25.40 Send information to the local host

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Masking of Destination Address:Case 2

Destinati- 195 nation IP 11000011 Subnet 255 Mask 11111111 175 25 67 10101111 00011001 01000011 255 255 224

ANDing Result

195

11111111 11111111 11100000 175 25 64

11000011 10101111 00011001 01000000

Yields subnet ID to be that of different subnet.

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Case 2 Forwarding of Data Packets

The destination host is remote Send information to the gateway The router at the gateway will route the data packet to the appropriate subnet

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Gateway IP address specified In TCP/IP properties.

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Summary of Transmission and Routing of Data Packets

Subnet at 195.175.25.64 Local Host 195.175.25.40

Router

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.224 195.175.25.40 (Case 1) 195.175.25.67 (Case 2)

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Host 195.175.25.34

Valid Subnet Masks for Class C Addresses

Subnet Mask 255.255.255.192 255.255.255.224 255.255.255.240 255.255.255.248 255.255.255.252 255.255.255.254 255.255.255.255
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Subnets Hosts 2 6 14 30 62 62 30 14 6 2

Host Total 124 180 196 180 124

End of Module

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Module
Subnetting Convention

Subnet Convention
Consider the following Class C example
195.175.25.0/27

In the above case, the first three octets and the first three higher-order bits of the fourth octet are used in subnet masking
3*8+3 = 27 bits from the beginning of the 32 bit IP address
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Subnet Convention Illustrated

8 Bits 8 Bits 8 Bits 3 Bits

11111111 11111111 11111111 11100000

Total number of masking bits = 27 195.175.25.0/27 Network ID
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Variable Length Subnets

135.41.0.0/16
Subnet 135.41.0.0/17
1 Network, 32,766 hosts

135.41.128.0.0/17 135.41.128.0./17 Subnet 135.41.248.0/21

135.41.128.0/21
15 Networks, 2046 hosts per network

135.41.248.0/24
Source: Microsoft White Paper

135.41.255.0/21

8 Networks, 254 hosts per network

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End of Module

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Module
Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)

Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)

To avoid the depletion of the class B addresses, it is subnetted and assigned as class C addresses To avoid the proliferation of network IDs that would complicate entries in the routing tables, they were folded for easing the routing process The above is known as CIDR
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Subnetting of Class B Example

Consider the requirement of 2000 hosts by a company Allocation of one class B network ID would yield 65,534 hosts
Far more than required

The solution is to subnet a B class address

8 C class network IDs with each network being able to support 254 hosts The total number of hosts supported is 2,032
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CIDR
CIDR enables the folding of network IDs The Internet router tables will need one entry for network ID with the use of a subnet mask for supernetting
Otherwise, the table need to carry 8 entries in the previous example

RIP for IP version 2, OSPF and BGPv2 are protocols that support CIDR
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Classless Addressing
Fixed + Zeros Network ID

Fixed

Variable
Host IDs

Fixed + Variables

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End of Module

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Module
Supernetting

Supernetting and CIDR

Internet Router Entry

8 Network IDs
Network ID 220.78.168.0 220.778.168.0 Subnet Mask 255.255.248.0 Network ID (For supernetting) 220.78.168.0

. . .

220.78.175.0

Source: Microsoft White Paper on TCP/IP

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End of Module

End of Chapter