IP Subnet Calculator

Calculate network addresses, host ranges, broadcast addresses, and more from CIDR notation.

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255.255.255.0

CIDR Quick Reference

CIDRSubnet MaskUsable HostsUse Case
/32255.255.255.2551Single host
/31255.255.255.2542Point-to-point links
/30255.255.255.2522Small WAN links
/29255.255.255.2486Small office
/28255.255.255.24014Small department
/27255.255.255.22430Department
/26255.255.255.19262Workgroup
/25255.255.255.128126Small building
/24255.255.255.0254Standard LAN
/16255.255.0.065,534Large network
/8255.0.0.016,777,214Class A network

IP Address Classes Explained

Understanding IP address classes helps you design efficient networks and choose the right subnetting strategy for your organization.

ClassIP RangeDefault MaskPurpose
Class A1.0.0.0 – 126.255.255.255/8Large networks (16M+ hosts)
Class B128.0.0.0 – 191.255.255.255/16Medium networks (65K+ hosts)
Class C192.0.0.0 – 223.255.255.255/24Small networks (254 hosts)
Class D224.0.0.0 – 239.255.255.255N/AMulticast
Class E240.0.0.0 – 255.255.255.255N/AExperimental / Reserved

Private IP Address Ranges (RFC 1918)

10.0.0.0/8
10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255
16,777,216 addresses (Class A)
172.16.0.0/12
172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255
1,048,576 addresses (Class B)
192.168.0.0/16
192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255
65,536 addresses (Class C)

Note: Private IP ranges are reserved for internal networks and are not routable on the public internet. NAT (Network Address Translation) is used to map private addresses to public IPs for internet access.

Best Network Monitoring & Management Tools (2026)

Monitor your subnets, track IP usage, and get alerts for network issues.

ToolTypePriceKey FeaturesLink
Datadog
Recommended
Network MonitoringFrom $15/host/moNPM, flow analysis, DNS monitoring, cloud integrationsVisit
PRTG Network Monitor
Paessler AG
All-in-OneFree (100 sensors) / $1,799Auto-discovery, bandwidth monitoring, alerting, mapsVisit
Zabbix
Community Edition
Open SourceFreeTemplate-based monitoring, auto-discovery, distributed monitoringVisit
SolarWinds IPAM
IP Address Manager
IP ManagementCustom pricingIP address tracking, DHCP/DNS management, subnet scanningVisit
ManageEngine OpManager
Zoho Corporation
Network MonitoringFrom $245Network mapping, WAN monitoring, NCM, firewall managementVisit

Tip: For small to mid-sized networks, PRTG or Zabbix offer excellent free tiers. For enterprise environments with cloud workloads, Datadog provides the most comprehensive network performance monitoring with real-time flow analysis and anomaly detection.

How Subnetting Works: A Quick Guide

What is Subnetting?

Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger IP network into smaller, more manageable sub-networks (subnets). By borrowing bits from the host portion of an IP address and allocating them to the network portion, you create multiple logical networks within a single address space. This is fundamental to efficient network design and IP address management.

Why Subnet?

  • Security isolation – Separate sensitive systems (e.g., finance, HR) into dedicated subnets with firewall rules between them.
  • Broadcast domain reduction – Smaller subnets mean less broadcast traffic, improving overall network performance.
  • Efficient IP allocation – Allocate only the addresses each department or VLAN actually needs, reducing waste.

VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masking)

VLSM allows you to use different subnet mask lengths within the same network, so each subnet can be sized to fit its actual number of hosts. For example, a point-to-point WAN link only needs a /30 (2 hosts), while an office floor might need a /24 (254 hosts). VLSM prevents wasting addresses by avoiding a one-size-fits-all mask.

Supernetting / CIDR Aggregation

Supernetting (also called route aggregation) is the reverse of subnetting – it combines multiple smaller contiguous networks into a single larger one. For example, four /24 networks (192.168.0.0 through 192.168.3.0) can be summarized as one /22 route. This reduces routing table size and simplifies network management for ISPs and large enterprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is subnetting and why is it important?
Subnetting is the practice of dividing a larger IP network into smaller sub-networks to improve performance, security, and manageability. It reduces broadcast traffic by limiting the scope of broadcast domains, enhances security by isolating different departments or services, and enables more efficient use of IP address space. Virtually every enterprise network uses subnetting as a fundamental part of its design.
What is CIDR notation?
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) notation is a compact way of expressing an IP address and its associated subnet mask. It appends a slash and a number (e.g., /24) to the IP address, where the number indicates how many leading bits of the address are the network portion. For example, 192.168.1.0/24 means the first 24 bits identify the network, leaving 8 bits for host addresses (254 usable hosts). CIDR replaced the older classful addressing system to allow more flexible allocation of IP space.
What is the difference between a subnet mask and a wildcard mask?
A subnet mask uses 1-bits to represent the network portion and 0-bits for the host portion (e.g., 255.255.255.0 for /24). A wildcard mask is the bitwise inverse of the subnet mask, using 0-bits for bits that must match and 1-bits for bits that can vary (e.g., 0.0.0.255 for /24). Subnet masks are used in interface configuration, while wildcard masks are commonly used in ACLs and OSPF configurations on Cisco routers.
How many usable hosts are in a /24 subnet?
A /24 subnet provides 256 total IP addresses (2^8), but two are reserved: the network address (first address, e.g., 192.168.1.0) and the broadcast address (last address, e.g., 192.168.1.255). This leaves 254 usable host addresses. The formula for usable hosts in any subnet is 2^(32 - CIDR) - 2, except for /31 and /32 subnets which have special rules defined in RFC 3021.
What are private IP address ranges?
Private IP addresses are reserved by RFC 1918 for use within internal networks and cannot be routed on the public internet. The three ranges are: 10.0.0.0/8 (10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255) for large networks, 172.16.0.0/12 (172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255) for medium networks, and 192.168.0.0/16 (192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255) for small and home networks. NAT is used to translate these private addresses to public IPs for internet communication.
What is VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masking)?
VLSM is a subnetting technique that allows different subnets within the same network to use different prefix lengths (subnet masks). Unlike fixed-length subnetting where every subnet must be the same size, VLSM lets you tailor each subnet to its actual requirements. For example, you can allocate a /30 for a point-to-point link (2 hosts) and a /24 for an office floor (254 hosts) from the same address block, significantly reducing IP address waste.