Chapter 1: Subnetting
Chapter 1: Subnetting What is a subnet? A subnet, or subnetwork, is a network inside a network. Subnets make networks more efficient. Through subnetting, network traffic can travel a shorter distance without passing through unnecessary routers to reach its destination. What is an IP address? In order to understand subnets, we must quickly define IP addresses . Every device that connects to the Internet is assigned a unique IP ( Internet Protocol ) address, enabling data sent over the Internet to reach the right device out of the billions of devices connected to the Internet. While computers read IP addresses as binary code (a series of 1s and 0s), IP addresses are usually written as a series of alphanumeric characters. What do the different parts of an IP address mean? This section focuses on IPv4 addresses, which are presented in the form of four decimal numbers separated by periods, like 203.0.113.112. (IPv6 addresses are longer and use letters as well as...