Subnet Mask To CIDR

What is a Subnet Mask?

A Subnet mask is a 32 bit number similar to an IPv4 address. Subnet masks are used in networking to identify which portion or bits of an IP address is the network ID and what is used for the host ID. Subnet masks enable a network to subnet in different sections (subnets). Subnets help manage and organise different devices and IP addresses across a network more effectively.

A Subnet mask represented in binary notation, The network ID is represented with a series of 1s where a host ID would be represented with a series of 0s. For example, a subnet mask of 255.0.0.0 would contain 8 ones and 24 zeros. The subnet mask of 255.0.0.0 would comprise of 8 bits for the network ID and 24 bits for the host ID.

Subnets are used in tandem with IP addresses to route packages both inside and outside a network. Subnet mask and IP address play an important role in networking and are used by routers, to perform routing of data. Routers take the IP address and subnet mask and perform a logical AND bitwise operation to determine the precise network ID.