IPv4/IPv6 Differences

Address

IPv4
32 bits (4 bytes)
12:34:56:78

IPv6
128 bits (16 bytes)
1234:5678:9abc:def0:
1234:5678:9abc:def0

Packet size

576 bytes required,

1280 bytes required without fragmentation
fragmentation optional

Packet
fragmentation

Routers and sending

hosts

Sending hosts only

Packet header

Does not identify

packet flow for QoS
handling

Contains Flow Label field that specifies packet

flow for QoS handling

Includes a checksum

Does not include a checksum

Includes options
up to 40 bytes

Extension headers used for optional data

Address (A) records,

maps host names

Address (AAAA) records,

maps host names

DNS records

Pointer (PTR) records, Pointer (PTR) records,

IN-ADDR.ARPA
ADDR.ARPA DNS IP6.ARPA DNS domain
domain
Address
configuration

Manual or via DHCP

Stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC)

using Internet Control Message Protocol version 6
(ICMPv6) or DHCPv6

IP to MAC
resolution

broadcast ARP

Multicast Neighbor Solicitation

Local subnet group Internet Group

Management Protocol
management
(IGMP)

Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)

Broadcast

Yes

No

Multicast

Yes

Yes

IPSec

optional, external

required

Subnetting a Network
To subnet a network, you take some bits from the host ID and give them to the network ID. As
the manager of a network, you have the power and freedom to do this
A Class B address is very large and generally needs to be subnetted to handle routing between
different physical locations. To keep subnetting simple, bits are often taken from the host ID in a
group of eight. This keeps the entire octet in intact. The table below shows an example of
subnetting a Class B address by taking eight bits from the host ID and giving them to the
network ID. Using an entire octet for subnetting gives you 256 possible subnets. Traditionally
the subnets using all 0s or all 1s are discarded, leaving 254 usable subnets.
Original network
Original subnet mask
New subnet mask
Subnet 1
Subnet 2
Subnet 3
Subnet 4
Subnet 5
Subnet 6
Subnet 7
Subnet 256

Decimal
135.25.0.0
255.255.0.0
255.255.255.0
135.25.0.0
135.25.1.0
135.25.2.0
135.25.3.0
135.25.4.0
135.25.5.0
135.25.6.0
135.25.255.0

Binary
10000111.00011001.00000000.00000000
11001.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000000.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000001.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000010.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000011.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000100.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000101.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.00000110.00000000
.00000000
10000111.00011001.11111111.00000000
.00000000

Doing this instead of having one great big network, you can subnet into a bunch of smaller
networks. The problem is, we rarely need 256 extra networks, and each of those networks has a
very limited number of nodes available. Not a lot of use for 256 (or 254 assuming you dont use
all 1s or all 0s) teensy little networks, is there?
So instead youll generally borrow only the number of bits you need. This is called custom
subnetting. In this case you use only SOME of the octet to get the number of networks you need.
1.

Example: Your company leased the class B address 173.25.0.0. This is way too large for
one network. You need to split it into ten networks.

To calculate the numbers of subnets that can be created by a certain number of bits use the
formula 2n-2.
2. In this formula n represents the number of bits and -22 is used because we generally
do not use all 1s or all 0s in our subnets, so we subtract 2 un-useable
un useable networks. So lets try the
formula!
2n-2>=10 (In other words, 2n-22 has to be greater than or equal to 10)
2n>=10+2
2n>=12

26=64
6 is too big so lets try 5
2n>=10+2
2n>=12
25-=32 since 2x2x2=8 23 would be too small, but 24 is just right.
To keep from having to use a calculator, just use this table. Looking at the table we can easily
see that 5=32 which, even when we subtract 2, is larger than or equal to 10.
x
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

2x
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

2x in Decimal
1
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256

Decimal
Binary
Original network
173.25.0.0
10101101.00011001.00000000.00000000
Original subnet mask
255.255.0.0
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000
In order to create ten smaller networks were going to borrow 4 bits from the host ID.
11111111.11111111.11111000.00000000
000.00000000
New subnet mask
255.255.240.0
(convert the middle octet to binary)
Subnet 1
173.25.0.0
10101101.00011001.00000000.00000000
000.00000000
Subnet 2
173.25.8.0
10101101.00011001.00001000.00000000
000.00000000
Why do we put 8 in the third octet? Because starting with the end of that octet we find
where the first 1 from the right sits in place value. It sits in the 8s place, so we use that
number for our network address for our first subnet. We then increase that octet by 8 for
each subsequent network.
Subnet 3
173.25.16.0
10101101.00011001.00010000.00000000
00.00000000
Subnet 4
173.25.24.0
10101101.00011001.00011000.00000000
000.00000000
Subnet 5
173.25.32.0
10101101.00011001.00100000.00000000
000.00000000
Subnet 6
173.25.40.0
10101101.00011001.00101000.00000000
000.00000000
Subnet 7
173.25.48.0
10101101.00011001.00110000.00000000
000.00000000
Subnet 8
173.25.56.0
10101101.00011001.00111000.00000000
000.00000000

Subnet 9
Subnet 10
Subnet 11
Subnet 12
Subnet 13

173.25.64.0
173.25.72.0
173.25.80.0
173.25.88.0
173.25.96.0

10101101.00011001.01000000.00000000
000.00000000
10101101.00011001.01001000.00000000
000.00000000
10101101.00011001.01010000.00000000
000.00000000
10101101.00011001.01011000.00000000
000.00000000
10101101.00011001.01100000.00000000
000.00000000

Custom Subnetting Practice

Given the class B address of 172.20.0.0 determine the new subnet mask at the new subnet
addresses for 10 subnets. This will subnet a single large network into 10 smaller networks.

Original network
Original subnet mask

Decimal
173.20.0.0
255.255.0.0

Binary
10101100.00010100.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000

New subnet mask

255.255.240.0

11111111. 11111111.11110000.00000000

Subnet 1
Subnet 2
Subnet 3
Subnet 4
Subnet 5
Subnet 6
Subnet 7
Subnet 8
Subnet 9
Subnet 10

Subnet Hosts

Hosts are computers or other objects (such as printers) that need IP addresses on a network. Once
youve determined your network addresses you have to know what IP addresses you can assign
to your hosts. In our example above we split our 173.25.0.0 network into 10 separate networks.
We know the network Ids, so now we need the IP address range we can use on each network.

Decimal

IP Address
Range

Original
173.25.0.0
network
Original
255.255.0.0
subnet mask
New subnet
mask

Binary
10101101.00011001.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.11111
11111000.00000000

255.255.240.0

(convert the middle octet to binary)

173.25.0.1Subnet 1
173.25.0.0
10101101.00011001.00000
00000000.00000000
173.25.7.254
See how we did that? We started with adding 1 to the end of the network ID and then took
1 away from the third octet of the starting address for the next subnet. If we convert the 2nd
IP address into binary we see it comes out to be 10101101.00011001.00000111.11111110.
The IP 173.25.15.255 would result in all 1s on the host ID. That address
address is the broadcast
address for this subnet, so it cant be assigned to any computers.
See how that works? Pretty nifty, huh?
173.25.8.1Subnet 2
173.25.8.0
173.25.15.254
173.25.16.1Subnet 3
173.25.16.0
173.25.23.254
You do the rest!

10101101.00011001.00001
00001000.00000000
10101101.00011001.000100
00010000.00000000

Subnet 4

173.25.24.0

10101101.00011001.00011
00011000.00000000

Subnet 5

173.25.32.0

10101101.00011001.00100
00100000.00000000

Subnet 6

173.25.40.0

10101101.00011001.00101
00101000.00000000

Subnet 7

173.25.48.0

10101101.00011001.00110
00110000.00000000

Subnet 8

173.25.56.0

10101101.00011001.00111
00111000.00000000

Subnet 9

173.25.64.0

10101101.00011001.01000
01000000.00000000

Subnet 10

173.25.72.0

10101101.00011001.01001
01001000.00000000

Subnet 11

173.25.80.0

10101101.00011001.01010
01010000.00000000

Subnet 12

173.25.88.0

10101101.00011001.01011
01011000.00000000

Subnet 13

173.25.96.0

10101101.00011001.01100
01100000.00000000

Finding Valid Hosts

Once you have calculated your network Ids for your subnets you want to find out the valid hosts.
For the subnets you found in the custom subnetting practice, find starting IP, ending IP, and the
broadcast address for each subnet.

Original network
Original subnet mask

Decimal
173.20.0.0
255.255.0.0

Binary
10101100.00010100.00000000.00000000
11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000

Starting IP

Ending IP

New subnet mask

Subnet
Subnet 1
Subnet 2
Subnet 3
Subnet 4
Subnet 5
Subnet 6
Subnet 7
Subnet 8
Subnet 9
Subnet 10

How do I Know How Many Hosts on a Subnet

You can use your old friend, the 2n-2= formula except in a slightly way.

Broadcast IP

1. Count the number of host bits (the number of 0s) in the subnet mask. That will be n.
2. Now plug that into the formula: 2n-2=number of hosts per network.

Host Bits
6

Formula
26-2

Usable Hosts
64-2=62

28-2

256-2=254

10
12

You fill in the rest!