This tutorial explains basic concepts of network addressing including a brief overview of subnet,

flat topology, IP address, Subnetting, Supernetting and VLSM.

Basic concepts of network addressing

Every computer in network has an IP address that define its location. Networks could have any
number of computers. These computers are grouped in certain ways for easy finding. Courier
companies follow same concept in delivering packets on correct address. For example you live in
Singapore and have a parcel for your friend who live in Bhilwara. You write down the following
address on parcel of your friend and give it to courier company.

Sanjay Kumar Goswami

D-131 Sundar Vihar Jothwara
Bhilwara Rajasthan
India

Now courier company would find this address in reverse mode. They will first send this parcel to
their main office in India. In main office all parcels are filtered and grouped according to their
destination state. This parcel would be grouped with other parcel headed to Rajasthan. Same
process would be done at main office of Rajasthan. This time packages would filtered and
grouped according to their district. Our parcel would be grouped with parcels headed to
Bhilwara. At Bhilwara office our parcel would be handed over to the delivery boy. Delivery boy
will go in Sundar vihar Jothwara. Their he will find the D sector. In D sector he will be locate the
house number 131 and deliver the parcel. Neither you nor your friend would be aware about the
process followed by courier company. You and your friend are only concerned about parcel that
delivered successfully. Let take one more example you send one more parcel to the same friend,
this time you only write down his name

Sanjay Kumar Goswami

What would happen this time? Will this packet deliver? Courier company needs address to
deliver this package. So chance are, they would reject this package.

Accurate address is required to deliver the package. Same mechanism is used in computer
network. In real life address is made from house number, street name, district name, state name
and country name. In computer network address is made from host address, network address,
subnet etc. Subnetting, Supernetting, VLSM are the terms those do filtering and grouping in
computer network. In this tutorial we will take a brief overview of these terms.

This tutorial is the first part of our article Network Addressing Explained with Subnetting and
VLSM. You can read other parts of this article here.

Subnetting Tutorial - Subnetting Explained with Examples

http://computernetworkingnotes.com/ccna-study-guide/subnetting-tutorial-subnetting-
explained-with-examples.html

This tutorial is second part of this article. In this part I will explain IP addressing and Subnetting in
detail with examples. Later I will present an easy and unique method of Subnetting that will make it
easier to understand.
VLSM Tutorial with Examples

http://computernetworkingnotes.com/ccna-study-guide/vlsm-tutorial-with-examples.html

This tutorial is the last part of this article. In this part I will explain VLSM in detail with examples. Later
I will provide a unique six steps method of VLSM that will help you in learning VLSM rapidly.

IP Address

IP address is the address of device in network. Computer or network device understand only one
language, binary language. In binary system all computers function using a system of switches
that can be in one of two positions, on or off. off being represented by the digit 0 and on
being represented by the digit 1. A binary number will include only the digits 0 and 1. IP
addresses are based on dotted decimal notation of a binary number. For example IP address
10.10.10.10 is a decimal notation of 00001010. 00001010. 00001010. 00001010

Network addressing

Companies often have large network, that need to be divide in smaller network for flexibility.
These smaller network known as subnets and this process known as sunetting. Let's take an
example of a company that have three story building, divided by floors, with each floor divided
into offices. Think building as network, floors as subnets, and office as host.
Subnet

Subnet is a group of computers divided by layer 3 IP address. Subnet have hierarchical structure.
Some bits from host portion are taken to create subnet address. Our next article describe this
process in detail.

Flat topology

Without subnet network has flat topology that relies on layer 2 MAC address to deliver packets.
MAC address has no hierarchical structure. All devices share same layer 2 broadcast domain and
bandwidth. As network grows, use of bandwidth become less efficient.

Subnetting

Subnetting is a process of breaking large network in smaller network known as subnet. Subnet
are easier to manage. Subnetting reduces network traffic, which improve network performance.
In subnetting some bits of host address are used in subnet address.

Supernetting

Supernetting is a reverse process of subnetting. Supernetting is done at router, for route

broadcast. Supernetting allows router to keep its routing table as small as possible. Router relies
on routing to determine route for packet. Router broadcast its routing table so other router can
learn about the network it have. As network grow routers require huge memory tables to store all
routing information. Supernetting helps reduce the size of router memory tables by combining
and summarizing multiple routing information entries into one single entry.

Differences between Subnetting and Supernetting

Subnetting breaks large network in smaller networks, while supernetting combine smaller
networks in single possible large network.
Subnetting is done to reduce the network traffic, while supernetting is done to reduce the
size of routing table.
Subnetting reduce collision and broadcast traffic between subnets. Supernetting reduce
broadcast traffic between routers.

VLSM

In subnetting all subnets have same number of hosts as they use same subnet mask. This leads to
inefficiencies. For example, if you borrow 4 bits on a Class C network, you end up with 14 valid
subnets of 14 valid hosts. A serial link to another router only needs 2 hosts, but with classical
subnetting, you end up wasting 12 of those hosts.
With VLSM, you can summarize subnets back to the Class A, B, or C network boundary. For
example, if you have a Class C network 192.168.1.0/24 and subnet it with a 26-bit mask, you
have created four subnets. Using VLSM and summarization, you can summarize these four
subnets back to 192.168.1.0/24.

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