International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in

Computer Science (IJETTCS)

Web Site: www.ijettcs.org Email: editor@ijettcs.org

Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September - October 2015 ISSN 2278-6856

Internet Protocol (IP) Address Subnetting and

Supernetting
Dr. Anil Kumar Singh

Jagran Institute of Management, 620-W Block Saket Nagar, Kanpur

ABSTRACT =
11000000.10101000.000
In order for systems to locate each other in a distributed00001.01100100
environment, nodes are given explicit addresses that
uniquely identify the particular network the system is on and
The binary number is
uniquely identify the system to that particular network. When
these two identifiers are combined, the result is a globally- important because that
unique address. This address, known as IP addresses, as IP will determine which
number, or merely as IP is a code made up of numbers class of network the IP
separated by three dots that identifies a particular computer
address belongs to. The
on the Internet. These addresses are actually 32-bit binary
numbers. In this paper we will explain the IP address and Class of the address
their classification, subnetting and super netting and also determines which part
explain the method of subnetting and super netting with the belongs to the network
help of suitable examples. We can secure our network and
address and which part
enhance the performance of the network with the help of
Subnetting and Super netting. [1] belongs to the node.

1. IP ADDRESSES 2. ASSIGNING IP
ADDRESS
The original Internet Protocol, IPv4, was developed in
the early 1980s and served the global Internet We can assign the IP
community for more than three decades. IPv4 had a address to computer with
capacity of just over four billion IP addresses, which the help of two methods
was enough for the experiment that the Internet started
as in the 1980s. But IPv4 is a finite space, and after Static IP (Manually)
years of rapid Internet expansion, the pool of available
unallocated addresses for IPv4 has been fully allocated
to Internet services providers (ISPs) and users. Only Dynamic IP
3.7 billion IPv4 addresses are usable by ordinary (Automatically with the
Internet access devices. The others are used for help of DHCP Server)
special protocols, like IP Multicasting. Today, none of
those 3.7 billion IPv4 addresses remain unallocated. [2] IP ADDRESS
CLASSIFICATION
Every machine on a network has a unique identifier.
Just as you would address a letter to send in the mail, IP addresses are divided
computers use the unique identifier to send data to into 5 classes
specific computers on a network. Most networks today,
including all computers on the Internet, use the TCP/IP
protocol as the standard for how to communicate on Class A
the network. In the TCP/IP protocol, the unique
identifier for a computer is called its IP address.

IPv4 uses 32 binary bits to create a single unique

address on the network. An IPv4 address is expressed
by four numbers separated by dots. Each number is
the decimal (base-10). For example: 192.168.1.100. It
is actually 32-bit binary (base-2) numbers.

Binary representation of 192.168.1.100

 B Value
10

C
110

A
00000000

0
D
1110 126

B
10000000

128
E
1111 191

C
11000000

192

Table-2 Range of IP 223

address
Class B These Classes are used in LAN & WAN
D
Class 11100000
Class C
Binary 224
Class D Reserved for Multicasting
Range of IP Address 239
Class E Reserved for Research & Development

2.2 FIND THE RANGE OF CLASS E

11110000
To find the range of each Class a bit called priority
bit is used. Priority bit is the left most bit of the first 240
octet. Startin
255
Table- 1: IP Class and their respective Priority bit Ending

Note: 127.0.0.1 is the

loopback Internet protocol
(IP) address also referred
Class Number to as the localhost. The
Priority bit
address is used to
establish an IP connection
to the same machine or
computer being used by
the end-user.[3]
A
0 2.3 SUBNET MASK

Class A - 255.0.0.0

g Value NNNNNNNN.HHHHHHHH.
HHHHHHHH.HHHHHHHH
Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September October 2015
Page 87
International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in
Computer Science (IJETTCS)

Web Site: www.ijettcs.org Email: editor@ijettcs.org

Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September - October 2015 ISSN 2278-6856

a result they cannot add
11111111.00000000.00000000.00000000 Class B - any address
255.255.0.0 combinations, and must
be subtracted to find the
NNNNNNNN.NNNNNNNN.HHHHHHHH.HHHHHHHH true value for n. The
following table shows the
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000 Class C - number of leading bits,
255.255.255.0 and we call that number, Chart -2 shows the
m. You must also Max. No. of valid
NNNNNNNN.NNNNNNNN.NNNNNNNN.HHHHHHHH subtract off the two networks
special cases of all
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000 1'(11111111) and all 0's
(00000000).[4]
Here N represents the Network bit and H
represents the Host bit Maximum No. of possible
n-m
Table 3 Shows number of Network and Host bits of networks = 2 -2
Class A, B, C Where n = No. of
Class Network bits
No. of Network bits
No. of Host bits m = No. of Static Leading
A bits
8 Maximum number of
24 possible hosts = 2 n - 2
B
16
16 Table 4 shows the
C number of leading bits
24
8

There is a set pattern of static leading bits for each Chart -3 shows the
class max. No. of valid hosts

Class A leading bits=0 3. TYPES OF IP

ADDRESS
Class B leading Bits=10
Internet Protocol (IP)
Class C leading bits=110 addresses is usually of
two types: Public and
By static, we mean that the bits cannot vary - and as Private.
Decimal IP ss
Net- (m bits)
addresses
Hos of First
Max. No. are (n
Maximum (n
Networks
A computer on Hosts
the Internet is la publicly registered with the Network
identified by its Bits Information Centre
IP address.
Bits
Bits
3.1 PUBLIC IP ADDRESSES

Byte
Range
work
t
of Valid 2n-m -2
No. of Valid
2n-2
In
order to avoid
address
C
Leading conflicts,
 10
bits)
128 to
224-3 -2
bits)

216-2 -2
16
(NIC) [5]. 2 -2
A public
IP
address
is B
assigned
to every
16
16
C
110
0 192 to
the
same address is assigned to the computer by
public the Internet Service
28-1 -2 IP
28-2 =254
224-2 address all
the computers to
over
find each other
the
online and
Internet.
exchange

(m=2)
191

24 Provider as soon as the computer is

= 16,384 8 connected to the
A =
=65,534

1 to 126
8
24

computer that connects to the (m=3)

Internet where each IP is 223

2,097,152 Internet gateway.

(m=1)
information.
User has no
control over the
=
public IP
126
=16,777,214

This addressing
scheme
makes

it
possible
for address that is
assigned to the
computer. The
unique. In this case, there cannot public IP
exist two computers with
A public IP address can
be either static or dynamic. A
 addresses and
changes

static public IP address does not disconnected

change and is used from the
each time one Internet. Thus
connects to the when it is re-
Internet.

Chart -1 show
the No. of
network and
host bits
connected it gets
primarily for hosting web pages a new IP.
or services on the

Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September

Most Internet October 2015
users will only
have a dynamic
IP assigned

Internet. On the other hand, a

dynamic public IP address

Page 88

to their
computer which
goes off when
is chosen from a pool of available the computer is
International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in
Computer Science (IJETTCS)

Web Site: www.ijettcs.org Email: editor@ijettcs.org

Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September - October 2015 ISSN 2278-6856

homes; there is no need
3.2 PRIVATE IP ADDRESSES to open the complete Network ID will be 0, 64,
network.[7] 128, 192
An IP address is considered private if the IP number
falls within one of the IP address ranges reserved for Variable Length Subnet Broadcast ID will be
private networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN). Mask (VLSM) is a process 63,127,191,255
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has of dividing an IP space
reserved the following three blocks of the IP address into the subnets of
space for private networks (local networks): different sizes without 5. SUPERNETTING
wasting IP addresses.
10.0.0.0 10.255.255.255 (Total Addresses: 16,777,216) When we perform sub The inverse of subnetting is
172.16.0.0 172.31.255.255 (Total Addresses: netting, all subnets have supernetting. Instead of
1,048,576) the same number of hosts, moving mask bits to the
this is known as FLSM right of the default mask for
(Fixed length subnet subnetting, we move mask
192.168.0.0 192.168.255.255 (Total Addresses: 65,536) bits to the left for
mask).
supernetting. With
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000 subnetting we create more
4.1 METHOD network address at the host
expense of host address.
Private IP addresses are used for numbering the
Example: we want to With supernetting we create
computers in a private network including home, more host address at the
divide 192.168.1.0/24
school and business LANs in airports and hotels expenses of network
into 4 smaller
which makes it possible for the computers in the addresses.
networks.
network to communicate with each other.
Supernetting is not for
With the help of following
Say for example, if a network X consists of 10 users, it is only for Internet
formula: Service Providers who are
computers, each of them can be given an IP starting n
from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.10. Unlike 2 requirements attempting to obtain the
2n 4 most efficient allocation of
IP address using the A,B,C
the public IP, the administrator of the private 22 4 class scheme. In this
network is free to assign an IP address of his own 4 4 method networks bits are
choice.[6] Number of networks: 22 = convert into host bits. [8]
4
4. SUBNETTING 5.1 METHOD
Now two host bits will be
Conversion of host bits to network bits. Subnetting is converted in network bits Example: Suppose we
the strategy used to partition a single physical network Default subnet mask: want to connect 1000
into more than one smaller logical sub-network, called 255.255.255.0 computer in Class C
subnets. An IP address includes a network segment network.
and a host segment. Subnets are designed by Customize subnet mask will
accepting bits from the IP address's host part and be As we know that we can
using these bits to assign a number of smaller sub- 11111111.11111111.11111111 connect 254 computers
networks inside the original network. Subnets were .11000000 255.255.255.192 in Class C network. For
initially designed for solving the shortage of IP
connecting 1000
addresses over the Internet. The subnetting process
No. of valid host 26 -2 = 64 - computers we will have
allows the administrator to divide a single Class A,
2 = 62 to convert network bits
Class B, or Class C network number into smaller
The 4 networks will be as into host bits.
portions. The subnets can be subnetted again into sub-
subnets. followed
IP address = 192.68.1.1
Dividing the network into a number of subnets 192.168.1.0
provides the following benefits: To Default Subnet mask =
192.168.1.63 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.64
Reduces the network traffic by reducing the volume To 2h-2 requirements
of broadcasts 192.168.1.127 2h-2 1000
192.168.1.128 210-2 1000
Helps to exceed the constraints in a local area To 1024 - 2 1000
network (LAN), for example, the maximum number 192.168.1.191
of permitted hosts. 192.168.1.192 1022 1000(Condition is
To true)
Enables users to access a work network from their 192.168.1.255
Volume 4, September Page 89
Issue 5(2), October 2015
International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in
Computer Science (IJETTCS)

Web Site: www.ijettcs.org Email: editor@ijettcs.org

Volume 4, Issue 5(2), September - October 2015 ISSN 2278-6856

23 192
Natural Subnet mask 255 168
192 51
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000 168 255
11111111.11111111.11111100.00000000 (conversion 24 192
of network bits into host bits) 0 168
to 52
192 0
255.255.252.0 (Classless subnet mask) 168 to
27 192
192 255 168
168 192 55
0 168 255
0 28
to 0 and so on. The effective
192 to network will be 64
168 192
3 168
255 CIDR: stands for
31 Classless Inter-Domain
192 255
168 Routing. CIDR was
192 developed in the 1990s
4 168
0 as a standard scheme for
32 routing network traffic
to 0
192 across the Internet.
to
168 192
7 168 Why Use CIDR?
255 35
192 255 Before CIDR technology
168 192 was developed, Internet
8 168 routers managed network
0 36 traffic based on the class
to of IP addresses. In this
0
192 system, the value of an IP
to
168 address determines its
192 sub-network for the
11 168 purposes of routing.
255 39
192 255
168 CIDR is an alternative to
192
12 traditional IP subnetting
168 that organizes IP
0 40 addresses into sub-
to 0 networks independent of
192 to the value of the addresses
168 192 themselves.
15 168
255 43 CIDR is also known as
192 255 supernetting as it
168 192 effectively allows multiple
16 168 subnets to be grouped
0 44 together for network
to 0 routing.
192 to
168 192
19 CIDR Notation
168
255 47
192 255 CIDR specifies an IP
168 address range using a
192
20 combination of an IP
168 address and its associated
0 48 network mask. CIDR
to 0 notation uses the following
192 to format
168
 Calculation of Max 8, September- October
xxx . xxx . xxx . xxx /n Networks and Max 2000.
Hosts:
Where n is the number of (leftmost) '1' bits in the http://www.infocellar.com/ CIDR Notation and IP
mask.[9] networks/ip/max- Tutorial , By Bradley
networks-hosts.htm Mitchell,
Wireless/Networking
6. CONCLUSION Vicomsoft - What are Expert
private and public IP
Though a 32 bits IP address offers a tremendously addresses?
large number of addresses the A, B, C class
AUTHOR
http://www.vicomsoft.com
structure does not make efficient use of network ID /glossary/ip-addresses/
and Host ID assignments. Subnetting improves the Dr. Singh has 15 years
situation by allowing a better split between network Techopedia- Subnetting: experience in Academic
and host assignments while improving the and Research. He is a
https://www.techopedia.com Post Graduate in
performance and maintainability of large network. /definition/28328/subnett ing
Computer Science and an
Private and Public IP MCA. He has received the
With the help of subnetting and supernetting we can Addresses: Whats the Ph.D. degree in
secure our network as well as we can reduce the cost. Difference? Information Technology
HACKING BASICS by from Mahatama Gandhi
REFERENCES Srikanth Chitrakoot Gramodaya
Ramesh: Vishwavidyalaya,
http://www.gohacking.com
Paessler-A short introduction to IP Addresses:
/private-and-
https://www.paessler.com/support/kb/ questions /50
public-ip-addresses/
Chitrakoot in 2012. He has
ICANN - IPv6 Fact Sheet: to his credit several
https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/factsheet-ipv6- George Thomas, research papers published
03feb11-en.pdf Introduction to in National and International
Tech-Faq 127.0.0.1 What Are its Uses and Why is Subnetting, The journals and conferences.
extension A Technical Presently he is working in
it Important? http://www.tech-faq.com/127-0-0-
Supplement to Control Jagran Institute of
1.html Management, Kanpur as
network, Volume 1, Issue
Associate Professor.

Volume 4, Issue 5(2),

September October 2015
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