IP-Subnet-Mask numbers

IP mask numbers are used to divide internet addresses into blocks called subnets. The mask
number represents the number of 1s in the binary of the address that is 'masked" against the
address so that it ignores the last bits which are for the group of IP addresses in the masked
address.
The first address of a subnet block (all 0s) is called the network address or network ID. The last
address (all 1s) is the broadcast address of the network. Typically the network address +1 or the
broadcast address -1 is the gateway to the internet. The 'slash' notation (ie /24) is known as CIDR
format, while the more conventional 255.255.255.0 notation is considered a subnet mask.

What is a zero subnet? How has it Changed?

Under old IP subnetting rules, the all 0s subnet was reserved for the network, and the all 1s
subnet was reserved for the broadcast. Over time, it was found that the all 0s subnet wasnt
really used and, if it could be handed out as a useable network, many IP addresses could be
changed.
An example of an IP address that is using a zero subnet is 10.1.0.1 with a subnet mask of
255.255.255.0. Earlier this was a kind of network id but today, this IP address is perfectly legal
when it comes to subnetting. Thus, if I had an IP address of 10.1.0.0 with a 255.255.0.0 subnet
mask is the network ID and if we subnet it, we could actually get 255 valid networks out of it by
using the 0 subnet.
Net bits
/20
/21
/22
/23
/24
/25
/26
/27
/28
/29
/30

Subnet mask
255.255.240.0
255.255.248.0
255.255.252.0
255.255.254.0
255.255.255.0
255.255.255.128
255.255.255.192
255.255.255.224
255.255.255.240
255.255.255.248
255.255.255.252

total-addresses per subnet

4096
2048
1024
512
256
128
64
32
16
8
4

The first address of a subnet block (all 0s) is called the network address or network ID. The last
address (all 1s) is the broadcast address of the network. Typically the network address +1 or the
broadcast address -1 is the gateway to the internet. This leaves us with total number of IP

numbers -3 left over for host address within a sub net block. That's why you either get 1 IP (4-3=
1) or if you ask for one more you get 5 (8-3=5).

Here is an example:
192.168.1.0/25 would include all address between 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.1.127
while 192.168.1.128/25 would include 192.168.1.128 and 192.168.1.255
Below is a mask table that makes it easy to look up the mask for a group of IP addresses.

Mask table
Mask = /24
0-255

Mask = /25
0-127
128-255

Mask = /26
0-63
64-127
128-191
192-255

Mask = /27
0-31
32-63
64-95
96-127
128-159
160-191
192-223
224-255

Mask = /28
0-15
16-31
32-47
48-63
64-79
80-111
112-127
128-143

144-159
160-175
176-191
192-207
208-223
224-239
240-255

Mask = /29
0-7
8-15
16-23
24-31
32-39
40-47
48-55
56-63
64-71
72-79
80-87
88-95
96-103
104-111
112-119
120-127
128-135
136-143
144-151
152-159
160-167
168-175
176-183
184-191
192-199
200-207
208-215
216-223
224-231
232-239
240-247
248-255

Mask = /30
0-3
4-7
8-11
12-15
16-19
20-23
24-27
28-31
32-35
36-39

40-43
44-47
48-51
52-55
56-59
60-63
64-67
68-71
72-75
76-79
80-83
84-87
88-91
92-95
96-99
100-103
104-107
108-111
112-115
116-119
120-123
124-127
128-131
132-135
136-139
140-143
144-147
148-151
152-155
156-159
160-163
164-167
168-171
172-175
176-179
180-183
184-187
188-191
192-195
196-199
200-203
204-207
208-211
212-215
216-219
220-223
224-227
228-231
232-235
236-239
240-243
244-247
248-251
252-255

Netmasks

Netmask
255.255.255.255
255.255.255.254
3021)
255.255.255.252
255.255.255.248
255.255.255.240
255.255.255.224
255.255.255.192
255.255.255.128
255.255.255.0
255.255.254.0
255.255.252.0
255.255.248.0
255.255.240.0
255.255.224.0
255.255.192.0
126
255.255.128.0
254 / 129
255.255.0.0
255.254.0.0
255.252.0.0
255.248.0.0
255.240.0.0
255.224.0.0
255.192.0.0
255.128.0.0
255.0.0.0
254.0.0.0
252.0.0.0
248.0.0.0
240.0.0.0
224.0.0.0
192.0.0.0
128.0.0.0
0.0.0.0

Netmask (binary)
11111111.11111111.11111111.11111111
11111111.11111111.11111111.11111110

CIDR
Notes
/32 Host (single addr)
/31
2 usable (RFC

11111111.11111111.11111111.11111100
11111111.11111111.11111111.11111000
11111111.11111111.11111111.11110000
11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000
11111111.11111111.11111111.11000000
11111111.11111111.11111111.10000000
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
11111111.11111111.11111110.00000000
11111111.11111111.11111100.00000000
11111111.11111111.11111000.00000000
11111111.11111111.11110000.00000000
11111111.11111111.11100000.00000000
11111111.11111111.11000000.00000000

/30
/29
/28
/27
/26
/25
/24
/23
/22
/21
/20
/19
/18

4
6
14
30
62
126
254
2
4
8
16
32
64

usable
usable
usable
usable
usable
usable
usable
Class C's
Class C's
Class C's
Class C's
Class C's
Class C's

11111111.11111111.10000000.00000000

/17

128

Class C's +

11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111110.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111100.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111000.00000000.00000000
11111111.11110000.00000000.00000000
11111111.11100000.00000000.00000000
11111111.11000000.00000000.00000000
11111111.10000000.00000000.00000000
11111111.00000000.00000000.00000000
11111110.00000000.00000000.00000000
11111100.00000000.00000000.00000000
11111000.00000000.00000000.00000000
11110000.00000000.00000000.00000000
11100000.00000000.00000000.00000000
11000000.00000000.00000000.00000000
10000000.00000000.00000000.00000000
00000000.00000000.00000000.00000000

/16
/15
/14
/13
/12
/11
/10
/9
/8
/7
/6
/5
/4
/3
/2
/1
/0

2
4
8
16
32
64
128

Class
Class
Class
Class
Class
Class
Class

IP space

B's
B's
B's
B's
B's
B's
B's

+
+
+
+
+
+

2
6
14
30
62