Chapter

Subnets in TCP/IP Networks

N. Ganesan, Ph.D.

Chapter Objectives

N. Ganesan, All

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

15

140

15

Class B Network
140

15

0
Subnet 1
0

Subnet 2
140

15

Third octet is now used for subnet IDs

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Subnet 3

Subnet Configuration
Subnet ID
140

140

15

15

..

140

First Host ID

15

Last Host ID
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254

Routing of Traffic

140.15.0.0

Routing

Outside world

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140.15.1.0

140.15.2.0

140.15.3.0

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 higherorder bits of the host ID are to be
reserved for that purpose
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Subnetting Structure
195 175

25

11100000

Subnet Mask
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Usable
Subnets
(6)

Sub Net Last Octet Subnet ID

1
00000000 195.175.25.
0
2
00100000 195.175.25.
32
3
01000000 195.175.25.
64
4
01100000 195.175.25.
96
5
10000000 195.175.25.
128
6
10100000 195.175.25.
160
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Sample Subnet Division

Subnet 1

Subnet 2

195.175.25.32

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
N. Ganesan, All

End of Module

N. Ganesan, All

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

B AND C

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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

Host
195.175.25.34

195.175.25.67
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Computing Subnet ID at
Startup
Host ID

195
110000
11
Subnet 255
Mask
111111
11
ANDing 195
Result
110000
11
Yields subnet ID.

175
101011
11
255
111111
11
175
101011
11

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25
000110
01
255
111111
11
25
000110
01

34
001000
10
224
111000
00
32
001000
00

TCP/IP
Properties
of the Host

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Masking of Destination
Address:Case 1
Destinat 195
175
25
40
i-nation 110000 101011 000110 001010
IP
11
11
01
00
Subnet
Mask

255
255
255
224
111111 111111 111111 111000
11
11
11
00
ANDing 195
175
25
32
Result
110000
101011
000110
001000
Yields subnet
ID to be
that of the
local subnet.
All 01
11 N. Ganesan,
11
00

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
Destinat 195
175
25
67
i-nation 110000 101011 000110 010000
IP
11
11
01
11
Subnet
Mask

255
255
255
224
111111 111111 111111 111000
11
11
11
00
ANDing 195
175
25
64
Result
110000
101011
000110
010000
Yields subnet
ID to be
that of different
subnet.
All 01
11 N. Ganesan,
11
00

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
Subnet at
Packets
Local
Host
195.175.25
.64

195.175.25.40

Router Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.224

195.175.25.40
Host
(Case 1)
195.175.25.34
195.175.25.67
(Case 2)
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Valid Subnet Masks for

Class C Addresses

Subnet Mask

Subnet Hosts
s
255.255.255.1 2
62
92
255.255.255.2 6
30
24
255.255.255.2 14
14
40
255.255.255.2 30
6
48
N. Ganesan,
255.255.255.2 62
2 All

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

111111 111111 111111 111000

11
11
11
00
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

135.41.128.0./17
135.41.128.0.0/17

1 Network, 32,766 hosts

Subnet

135.41.128.0/21

135.41.248.0/21

15 Networks, 2046 hosts per

network

135.41.248.0/24 135.41.255.0/21
8 Networks, 254 hosts per network
Source:
Microsoft
White Paper

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End of Module

N. Ganesan, All

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
Fixed

+ Zeros

Network ID

Variable

Fixed + Variables

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Host IDs

End of Module

N. Ganesan, All

Module
Supernetting

Supernetting and CIDR

Internet Router Entry
8 Network IDs
Network ID
220.78.168.0

220.78.168.0

Subnet Mask 220.778.168.0

255.255.248.0 Network ID
(For supernetting)

Source: Microsoft
White Paper on

.
.
.

220.78.175.0

N. Ganesan, All

End of Module

End of Chapter