A subnet allows the flow
of network traffic between hosts to be
segregated based on a network configuration. By organizing hosts into
logical groups, subnetting can improve network security and performance.
Subnet Mask
Perhaps the most recognizable
aspect of subnetting is the subnet mask. Like IP addresses, a subnet
mask contains four bytes (32 bits) and is often written using the same
"dotted-decimal" notation. For example, a very common subnet mask in
its binary representation
11111111
11111111 11111111 00000000
is typically shown in the
equivalent, more readable form
255.255.255.0
Applying a Subnet Mask
A subnet mask neither works like
an IP address, nor does it exist independently from them. Instead, subnet masks
accompany an IP address and the two values work together. Applying the subnet
mask to an IP address splits the address into two parts, an "extended
network address" and a host address.
For a subnet mask to be valid, its leftmost bits
must be set to '1'. For example,
00000000
00000000 00000000 00000000
is an invalid subnet mask because
the leftmost bit is set to '0'.
Conversely, the rightmost bits in a valid subnet
mask must be set to '0', not '1'. Therefore,
11111111
11111111 11111111 11111111
is invalid.
All valid subnet masks contain two parts: the
left side with all mask bits set to '1' (the extended network portion) and the
right side with all bits set to '0' (the host portion), such as the first
example above.
Classes of IP
Addresses, IP Broadcast and IP Multicast
IPv4
Address Classes
The IPv4 address space can be subdivided
into 5 classes - Class A, B, C, D and E. Each class consists of a
contiguous subset of the overall IPv4 address range. With a few special
exceptions explained further below, the values of the leftmost four bits of an
IPv4 address determine its class as follows:
Class
|
Leftmost bits
|
Start address
|
Finish address
|
A
|
0xxx
|
0.0.0.0
|
127.255.255.255
|
B
|
10xx
|
128.0.0.0
|
191.255.255.255
|
C
|
110x
|
192.0.0.0
|
223.255.255.255
|
D
|
1110
|
224.0.0.0
|
239.255.255.255
|
E
|
1111
|
240.0.0.0
|
255.255.255.255
|
All Class C addresses, for example, have
the leftmost three bits set to '110', but each of the remaining 29 bits may be
set to either '0' or '1' independently (as represented by an x in these bit positions):
110xxxxx
xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx
Converting the above to dotted
decimal notation, it follows that all Class C addresses fall in the range from
192.0.0.0 through 223.255.255.255.
IP Address Class E and Limited Broadcast
The IPv4 networking standard
defines Class E addresses as reserved, meaning that they should
not be used on IP networks. Some research organizations use Class E addresses
for experimental purposes. However, nodes that try to use these addresses on
the Internet will be unable to communicate properly.
A special type of IP address is the limited
broadcast address 255.255.255.255. A broadcast involves delivering a message from one sender to many
recipients. Senders direct an IP broadcast to 255.255.255.255 to indicate
all other nodes on the local network (LAN) should pick up that message. This
broadcast is 'limited' in that it does not reach every node on the Internet,
only nodes on the LAN.
Technically, IP reserves the entire range of
addresses from 255.0.0.0 through 255.255.255.255 for broadcast, and this range
should not be considered part of the normal Class E range.
IP Address Class D and Multicast
The IPv4 networking standard
defines Class D addresses as
reserved for multicast.
Multicast is a mechanism for defining groups of nodes and sending IP messages
to that group rather than to every node on the LAN (broadcast) or just one
other node (unicast).
Multicast
is mainly used on research networks. As with Class E, Class D addresses
should not be used by ordinary nodes on the Internet.
IP Loopback, IP Private Addresses, and IPv6 Address Types
IP
Loopback Address
127.0.0.1 is the loopback address in
IP. Loopback is a test mechanism of network adapters. Messages sent to
127.0.0.1 do not get delivered to the network. Instead, the adapter intercepts
all loopback messages and returns them to the sending application. IP
applications often use this feature to test the behavior of their network
interface.
As with broadcast, IP officially reserves the
entire range from 127.0.0.0 through 127.255.255.255 for loopback
purposes. Nodes should not use this range on the Internet, and it should not be
considered part of the normal Class A range.
Zero Addresses
As with the loopback range, the
address range from 0.0.0.0 through 0.255.255.255 should not be
considered part of the normal Class A range. 0.x.x.x addresses serve no
particular function in IP, but nodes attempting to use them will be unable to
communicate properly on the Internet.
Private Addresses
The IP standard defines specific
address ranges within Class A, Class B, and Class C reserved for use by private
networks (intranets). The table below lists these reserved ranges of the IP
address space.
Definition: Intranet is
the generic term for a collection of private computer networks within an
organization. An intranet uses network technologies as a tool to facilitate.