Subnet Mask

A subnet mask is a numerical code used in internet protocol (IP) networking to identify the network portion of an IP address. It is a 32-bit number that is used to divide an IP address into two parts, the network address and the host address. The subnet mask is used in conjunction with the IP address to determine which part of the IP address is used to identify the network and which part is used to identify the host.

The subnet mask is used to determine the size of the network, which is important for routing and communication between devices. It is also used to determine the number of hosts that can be connected to a network. The subnet mask is represented in dotted decimal notation, which is a series of four numbers separated by periods. Each number represents 8 bits of the subnet mask, and the numbers range from 0 to 255.

The subnet mask is used in conjunction with the IP address to determine the network address. The network address is the portion of the IP address that identifies the network. The host address is the portion of the IP address that identifies the individual device on the network. The subnet mask is used to determine which part of the IP address is used to identify the network and which part is used to identify the host.

The subnet mask is an important component of IP networking. It is used to identify the network portion of an IP address, which is critical for routing and communication between devices. It also determines the size of the network and the number of hosts that can be connected to it. Understanding subnet masks is essential for anyone working with IP networking and is a fundamental concept in computer networking.