From Subnetting

to VLSM

by
B Pavan Kumar
Agenda
 Classful vs. Classless Routing
 VLSM Explained
 Why VLSM
Classful vs Classless Routing
 Classful routing assigns address space based on the
value in the first octet of the 32-bit IP address
 RFC Number 791 (760)
 Class based on value in first octet value
 Receiving router ands subnet mask to determine
subnet
 Class A 0-126
 Class B 128-191
 Class C 192-223
 Classless routing ignores classes and uses a CIDR value
(number of 1s in network mask) to identify the network
 CIDR transmitted as part of IP address – RFC 1517-
1520
 Network portion not restricted to entire octet
Classless Routing
Address Space Issues

 Class A and Class B = 75% address space

 < 17000 organizations can be assigned

address
 Class C = 12.5% available address space
 Each network limited to 254 maximum hosts

 Potential routing problems

 Too many network addresses in routing

table
 Extra work for CPU; more memory

required
Private Addressing
RFC 1918

 Class A 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255

 Class B 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
 Class C 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255
 Used to extend life of IPv4 addressing

 Note: Do not mix private and public IP

address in same network – it will create

discontiguous subnets which causes
problems
Classless Routing
 Another method used to extend the life of IPv4
 Temporary solution to deal with lack of network
numbers
 Uses bit mask (NOT 1st octet value) to determine
network portion of address
 Uses CIDR to summarize routing information; CIDR
transmitted with IP address
 Enables the use of supernets and/or route
aggregation and summarization
 Smaller routing tables
 Reduced router memory requirements
 Reduced number of CPU cycles for routing
processes
Routing Protocols
 Classful – can’t send subnet information in
updates
 RipV1, IGRP, EGP, BGP3 – also can’t support
discontiguous subnets
 Classless
 Sends CIDR in updates sent via multicasting
 Can authenticate
 RipV2 (RFC 1058), EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP4
 RIPV2 and EIGRP automatically summarize at
classful boundary unless you configure differently
 RouterA (config-router) no auto-summary
VLSM
Variable Length Subnet Masking

 Subnets a subnet
 Can support multiple contiguous
routes
 Can use more than one subnet mask
for address space allocated to a firm
 Makes more efficient use of available
address space
 Creates two-host subnets for serial links
Why Not IPv6?
128-bit address space

 Slow to arrive
 IPv4 revitalized with new features
 VLSM, NAT/PAT, IP unnumbered, private
addresses
 Not supported by legacy systems
 Requires new software (and
hardware)
 Requires retraining
Zero Subnet (Ones too?)
 Zero subnet
 IOS 12.X and higher supports by default

 Configure pre-12.x IOS routers

 RouterA(config) IP subnet-zero

 DO Use it to increase address space available

 Ones subnet
 Defined in RFC 1878

 Can use it; however can cause problems

 Avoid using unless you absolutely need it

Route Aggregation Example 1
 Assume you are using three Class B private
addresses
 172.16.0.0 10101100.000100 00.0.0
 172.17.0.0 10101100.000100 01.0.0
 172.18.0.0 10101100.000100 10.0.0
 Common bits are 10111000.0001
 8 bits in first octet + 6 bits in second octet = 14
 CIDR is 14
 Insulates upstream routers from route
flapping problems (serial link problem)
Route Aggregation Example 2
 Assume you are using three Class A
private addresses
 10.20.0.0 00001010.000101 00.0.0
 10.21.0.0 00001010.000101 01.0.0
 10.22.0.0 00001010.000101 10.0.0
 Common bits are 00001010.000101
 8 bits in first octet + 6 bits in second
octet = 14
 CIDR is 14
Supernet Example 1
 Company assigned 4 contiguous Class C networks
 200.10.10.0
11001000.00001010.00001010.0
 200.10.11.0
11001000.00001010.00001011.0
 200.10.12.0
11001000.00001010.00001100.0
 200.10.13.0
11001000.00001010.00001101.0
 Summarize on common bits = 21
 Appears in routing table as 200.10.10.0/21
Supernet Example 2
 Company assigned 4 contiguous Class C networks
 200.10.101.0
11001000.00001010.11001001.0
 200.10.102.0
11001000.00001010.11001010.0
 200.10.103.0
11001000.00001010.11001011.0
 200.10.104.0
11001000.00001010.11001100.0
 Summarize on common bits = 21
 Appears in routing table as 200.10.101.0/21
Network Subnet Example
 128.1.0.0/16 is assigned IP address
 130 subnets needed
 Requires use of third octet for subnet
values
 1,2,3,4, …., 254
 Each subnet can support 254 hosts
 Each serial connection will use a subnet
and waste 252 address spaces
Network Subnet Example
 Assigned IP address is 128.1.0.0
 Scenario - 130 subnets needed and 20
serial connections used now
 Requires use of third octet for subnets
 128.1.0.0 to 128.1.254.0, subnet mask
255.255.255.0 or CIDR 24
 Each subnet can support 254 hosts
 To use an entire subnet for a serial
connection would waste 252 address
spaces and we have 20 now – SO…..
Network Subnet Example
Subnet the Subnet

 Use subnets 128.1.0.0 to 128.1.129.0

for needed subnets with a CIDR of 24
 Subnet subnet 128.1.130.0 using CIDR
30
 128.1.130.0/30
 128.1.130.4/30
 128.1.130.8/30
 ………………..
 128.1.130.252/30
Network 2 Subnet Example
 A Network address of 200.10.20.0 is assigned
 Subnet with a CIDR of 26
 200.10.20.0, 200.10.20.64 (62 hosts)

 Subnet subnet 128 with a CIDR of 28

 200.10.20.128, 200.10.20.144,

200.10.20.160 (14 hosts)

 Subnet subnet 200.10.20.176 with a CIDR of 30
 200.10.20.176, 200.10.20.180,

200.10.20.184 (2 hosts)
 Can summarize (aggregate) on
 200.10.20.0/26
Using VLSM
 Variable Length Subnet Masking – allows division
of address space based on the size of networks
 Start with network requiring the most
addresses
 Create a subnet mask (use CIDR – Classless
InterDomain Routing – number)
 Subnet the subnet as needed to provide
address space required for other subnets
 Be logical – start at beginning or end or

address space
 Addresses must be contiguous to enable

route summarization