BSc(Hons.

) in Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication

School of Engineering

EEE2315-Data Communication and Networks

Lab - Designing and Implementing a Subnetted IPv4 Addressing
Scheme

Date of Submission : 02.07.2023

Name : P.A.M.A. Gunawardhana
Index Number : 21UG0512
1. Introduction

The purpose of this lab is to design and implement a subnetted IPv4 addressing scheme for a network.
The lab involves three main parts: designing the subnetting scheme, configuring the network devices,
and testing the network connectivity.
The scenario involves starting with a single network address and network mask and subnetting it into
multiple subnets based on the number of host computers required in each subnet and other network
considerations such as future expansion. These are addressed in this report.

What is IP Address?
An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical identifier assigned to each
device connected to a computer network. It serves as the device's location address in the network,
enabling communication and data transfer between different devices and networks across the internet.

IP addresses are essential for identifying and routing data packets to their intended destinations. They
consist of a series of binary digits, typically represented in a human-readable format called dotted
decimal notation, where each segment of the address is separated by periods. For example, an IPv4
address may look like 192.168.0.1.

There are two main versions of IP addresses in use today: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit
addresses and are the most widely used format. However, due to the exponential growth of the internet
and the limited number of available IPv4 addresses, the newer IPv6 addresses were introduced. IPv6
addresses are 128 bits long and are represented in a different format, using hexadecimal digits separated
by colons.

IP addresses are structured into two parts: the network portion and the host portion. The network
portion identifies the specific network to which a device belongs, while the host portion distinguishes
individual devices within that network. Subnetting allows for the further division of the host portion,
enabling the creation of multiple subnetworks or subnets within a larger network.
What is Subnet?

Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger network into smaller subnetworks, known as subnets.
It allows for efficient utilization of IP addresses and better management of network resources. By
subnetting a network, you can create separate logical networks within the larger network, each
with its own network address range.
Subnetting involves borrowing bits from the host portion of an IP address to create a subnet mask.
This subnet mask determines the number of subnets and the number of hosts per subnet that can
be accommodated. By customizing the subnet mask, you can allocate the appropriate number of
IP addresses for each subnet based on the specific requirements of the network.
The benefits of subnetting include improved network performance, enhanced security, and
simplified network administration. Subnetting enables efficient routing by reducing broadcast
traffic, limiting the scope of network failures, and allowing for more precise control over network
access through the use of subnet-specific policies.

The number of subnets in a network can be determined using the 2n formula, where n is the number
of borrowed 1 bits in the host component, and the number of hosts in a subnet can be determined
using the 2N-2 formula, where N is the number of bits remaining on the host portion.
Using the above formulas, the number of hosts and the number of subnets in a typical subnet mask.
Procedure

In this lab, we will start with a single network address and subnet mask and work our way
around the network to divide it into many subnets. Subnets will be divided based on the number
of host computers necessary in each subnet, as well as potential expansions of the network's host
capacity.

Once the subnetting scheme has been created, we will setup the host PCs and router interfaces,
including the construction of loopback interfaces. These settings will allow us to simulate extra
LANs connected to the router. The ping command will be used to check successful configuration
and network connectivity.

The following materials are required to carry out this experiment:

→ One Router
→ One Switch
→ Two PCs
→ Console cables (for configuring the devices via console ports)
→ Ethernet cables (as indicated in the lab topology)

Part 1 : Design a Network Subnetting Scheme

Step 1 : Create a subnetting scheme that meets the required number of

subnets and required number of host addresses..

In this section, we will create an appropriate IP plan based on the given scenario. The scenario
involves a large company that needs to create multiple subnets using the network address
192.168.0.0/24.

Subnet Network Name No of Hosts

1 Employee 25
2 Administration 10
3 Virtual Net 1 1
4 Virtual Net 2 1
5
Future Provision Unknown
6
Answer the following questions to help create a subnetting scheme that meets the stated
network requirements:

1) How many host addresses are needed in the largest required subnet? 25 Hosts

2) What is the minimum number of subnets required? 6 subnets required

3) The network that you are tasked to subnet is 192.168.0.0/24. What is the /24
subnet mask in binary? 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000

4) The subnet mask is made up of two portions, the network portion, and the host
portion. This is represented in the binary by the ones and the zeros in the subnet
mask.
- In the network mask, what do the ones represent? Ones represent the
network portion
- In the network mask, what do the zeros represent? Zeros represent the host
portion

5) To subnet a network, bits from the host portion of the original network mask are
changed into subnet bits. The number of subnet bits defines the number of
subnets. Given each of the possible subnet masks depicted in the following
binary format, how many subnets and how many hosts are created in each
example?

(/25) 11111111.11111111.11111111.10000000
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.128
Number of subnets? (2^1) = 2 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^7)-2= 126

(/26) 11111111.11111111.11111111.11000000
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.192
Number of subnets? (2^2) = 4 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^6)-2= 62
 (/27) 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.224
Number of subnets? (2^3) = 8 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^5)-2= 30

(/28) 11111111.11111111.11111111.11110000
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.240
Number of subnets? (2^4) = 16 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^4)-2= 14

(/29) 11111111.11111111.11111111.11111000
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.248
Number of subnets? (2^5) = 32 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^3)-2= 6

(/30) 11111111.11111111.11111111.11111100
Dotted decimal subnet mask equivalent: 255.255.255.252
Number of subnets? (2^6) = 64 subnets
Number of hosts? (2^2)-2= 2

6) Considering your answers, which subnet masks meet the required number of
minimum host addresses? /25, /26, /27

7) Considering your answers, which subnet masks meets the minimum number of
subnets required? /27, /28, /29, /30 gives required subnets

8) Considering your answers, which subnet mask meets both the required minimum
number of hosts and the minimum number of subnets required? 8 subnets with
a total of 30 hosts in /27, which is more than the 25 hosts needed for the first
subnet.
 9) When you have determined which subnet mask meets all of the stated
network requirements, you will derive each of the subnets starting from the
original network address. List the subnets from first to last below.
Remember that the first subnet is 192.168.0.0 with the newly acquired
subnet mask.

Subnet Address /Prefix Ubnet Mast (Dotted

decimal
192.168.0.0 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.32 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.64 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.96 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.128 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.160 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.192 /27 255.255.255.224
192.168.0.224 /27 255.255.255.224

Determining the IP Address

Binary form 11111111 11111111 11111111 11100000
Decimal Form 255 255 255 224
IP Address
192 168 0 0
Decimal
IP Address
11000000 11000000 00000000 00000000
Binary

First subnet Second Subnet

First Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 1 Network Address = 192. 168. 0. 32
Last Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 30 First Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 33
Broadcast Address = 192. 168. 0. 31 Last Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 62
Broadcast Address = 192. 168. 0. 63
Third Subnet
Network Address = 192. 168. 0. 64
First Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 65
Last Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 94
Broadcast Address = 192. 168. 0. 95
Fourth Subnet
Network Address = 192. 168. 0. 96
First Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 97
Last Usable IP Address = 192. 168. 0. 126
Broadcast Address = 192. 168. 0. 127

Step 2: Complete the diagram showing where the host IP addresses will be
applied.

Addressing Table

Device Interface IP Address Subnet Mask Default Gateway

R1 G0/0 192.168.0.97 255.255.255.224 N/A

G0/1 192.168.0.65 255.255.255.224 N/A

Lo0 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.224 N/A

Lo1 192.168.0.33 255.255.255.224 N/A

S1 VLAN 1 N/A N/A N/A

PC – A NIC 192.168.0.66/27 255.255.255.224 192.168.0.65/27

PC – B NIC 192.168.0.98/27 255.255.255.224 192.168.0.97/27

Part 2: Configure the Devices

In this part, the network topology will be set up and the devices will be configured. This includes
configuring basic settings on the PCs and router, such as the IP addresses for the router's Gigabit
Ethernet interfaces and the IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways for the PCs. The
device names and address information can be found in the Addressing Table.

Step 1: Router Configuration

a. Access privileged EXEC mode and then global config mode.
b. Set the hostname for the router as R1.
c. Configure the IP addresses and subnet masks for the G0/0 and G0/1 interfaces, and enable
them.
d. To simulate additional LANs on the R1 router, create loopback interfaces and assign IP
addresses and subnet masks to them. By default, loopback interfaces are enabled. (To create a
loopback address, use the command "interface loopback 0" in global config mode).
Note: If desired, additional loopback interfaces can be created for testing with different
addressing schemes.
e. Save the running configuration to the startup configuration file.

Step 2: PC Interface Configuration

a. Configure the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway settings on PC-A.
b. Configure the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway settings on PC-B.
Part 3: Test and Troubleshoot the Network
In Part 3, the network will be tested for connectivity using the ping command.
Follow the steps below:
a) Test to see if PC-A can communicate with its default gateway. From PC-A, open a
command prompt and ping the IP address of the router Gigabit Ethernet 0/1
interface. Do you get a reply?
YES
b) Test to see if PC-B can communicate with its default gateway. From PC-B, open a
command prompt and ping the IP address of the router Gigabit Ethernet 0/0
interface. Do you get a reply?
YES
c) Test to see if PC-A can communicate with PC-B. From PC-A, open a command
prompt and ping the IP address of PC-B. Do you get a reply?
NO
d) If you answered “no” to any of the preceding questions, then you should go back
and check all of your IP address and subnet mask configurations, and ensure that
the default gateways have been correctly configured on PC-A and PC-B.
e) If you verify that all of the settings are correct, and you can still not ping
successfully, then there are a few additional factors that can block ICMP pings. On
PC-A and PC-B within Windows, make sure that the Windows Firewall is turned
off for the Work, Home, and Public networks.
PC – A = Cisco lab Computer
PC – B = Personal Laptop
In our lab experiment, we successfully ping PC - B to PC - A and get replies.
But we did not get any reply from PC-A to PC-B.
We try to get an answer PC-A to PC-B by turning off Windows Firewall for
work, home, and public networks but we still don't get an answer.
We have discussed that PC-A may have stopped communicating with PC-B
due to a problem with the laptop network Adapter in PC - B.

f) Experiment by purposely misconfiguring the gateway address on PC-A to 10.0.0.1.

What happens when you try and ping from PC-B to PC-A? Do you receive a reply?
No
Reflection

1) Subnetting one larger network into multiple smaller subnetworks allows for greater
flexibility and security in network design. However, what do you think some of the
drawbacks are when the subnets are limited to being the same size?
Some subnetworks require many ip addresses and others require only a few,
having all of the subnets the same size is not the most efficient way to divide
the subnets.

2) Why do you think the gateway/router IP address is usually the first usable IP address
in the network?
The router or gateway is like a door to the network and therefore it is logical
that its address is at the beginning of the network. It is purely a convention
however.
Discussion

Configuration PC- A (Cisco lab PC)

Configuration PC- B (Personal Laptop)

Default gateway from PC- A

Default gateway from PC- B

Ping command to PC-A by PC- B

Ping command to PC-B by PC- A

Conclusion

This laboratory exercise provided valuable hands-on experience with IPv4 addresses and the creation of a subnet
scheme. Throughout the activities, the practical application of network operations at Layer 3 of the OSI Reference
Model was demonstrated. Subnetting, subnet masks, network addresses, and broadcast addresses were studied,
allowing students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.
The network's efficiency and scalability were improved by effectively subdividing a large subnet into smaller
subnets. Students practiced calculations involving network address and broadcast address derivation, allowing them
to determine practical IP address ranges and configure routers based on the assigned IP plan and subnet design
considerations.
In addition, the laboratory session gave students hands-on experience with network testing using the Ping command.
The results of testing connectivity between configured default gateways and PCs provided a conclusive assessment
of the network's functionality.
Modern network infrastructures require the development and implementation of a subnetted IPv4 addressing
scheme. This laboratory session improved students' understanding of subnetting concepts while also providing them
with the practical skills needed to successfully deploy and maintain subnetted networks. Students are better prepared
to address the evolving demands of today's interconnected world and contribute to the creation of reliable and
efficient network designs if they understand these principles.

References

• https://www.tutorialspoint.com/ipv4/ipv4_subnetting.htm
• https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ip/routing-information-protocol-rip/13788-
3.html
• https://www.cbtnuggets.com/blog/technology/networking/networking-basics-what-is-
ipv4-subnetting
Appendix