Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM) Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)

CCNA2-1 Chapter 6

Note for Instructors

These presentations are the result of a collaboration among the instructors at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. Thanks must go out to Rick Graziani of Cabrillo College. His material and additional information was used as a reference in their creation. If anyone finds any errors or omissions, please let me know at: [email protected].

CCNA2-2

Chapter 6

VLSM and CIDR

Classful and Classless Addressing

CCNA2-3

Chapter 6

Classful and Classless Routing Protocols

One of the ways to characterize routing protocols is either as classful or classless. As networks evolved and began to use classless addressing, classless routing protocols had to be modified or developed to include the subnet mask in the routing update.
CCNA2-4 Chapter 6

Classful IP Addressing
ARPANET 1969 By 1989, it was transformed into what we now call the Internet. 1989 159,000 By 2000, it grew to over 72 million hosts. As of January 2008, there were over 541 million hosts on the Internet. Without VLSM and CIDR, the IPv4 address space would have been exhausted long ago.
CCNA2-5 Chapter 6

High-Order Bits

In the original specification of IPv4 (RFC 791), released in 1981, the authors established the classes to provide three different sizes of networks for large, medium, and small organizations. As a result, Class A, B, and C addresses were defined with a specific format for the high-order bits.
CCNA2-6 Chapter 6

IPv4 Classful Addressing Structure

Subnet masks were determined based on class. The only choices were networks with very large number of hosts, large number of hosts, or few number of hosts.
CCNA2-7 Chapter 6

Classful Routing Protocol

Using classful IP addresses: Subnet mask of a network address could be determined by the value of the first octet. The router receiving the routing update could determine the subnet mask simply by examining the value of the first octet. RIPv1: Only needed to propagate the network address of known routes and did not need to include the subnet mask in the routing update. The subnet mask was directly related to the network address.

CCNA2-8

Chapter 6

Classful Routing Protocol

R2 applies s0/0/0s /24 subnet mask (same major network)

R2 sends a summarized route out s0/0/1 (different major network)

R1 sends a subnet address out s0/0/0 (same major network).

R3 applies the default /16 subnet mask (different major network)

CCNA2-9

Chapter 6

Classless IP Addressing
Moving Toward Classless Addressing: By 1992, members of the IETF had serious concerns about the exponential growth of the Internet. Limited scalability of Internet routing tables. Eventual exhaustion of 32-bit IPv4 address space. In 1993, the IETF introduced Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR). More efficient use of IPv4 address space. Prefix aggregation, which reduced the size of routing tables.

CCNA2-10

Chapter 6

Classless IP Addressing

To CIDR-compliant routers, address class is meaningless. The network portion of the address is determined by the network subnet mask, also known as the network prefix, or prefix length (/8, /19, etc.). The network address is no longer determined by the class of the address.
CCNA2-11 Chapter 6

CIDR and Route Summarization

The capability for routes to be summarized as a single route helped reduce the size of Internet routing tables. A Supernet summarizes multiple network addresses with a mask that is less than (or a summary of) the classful mask.
CCNA2-12 Chapter 6

CIDR and Route Summarization

Networks to be summarized MUST be contiguous.

192.168.0.0/23

11000000.10101000.00000000.00000000

192.168.2.0/23 192.168.4.0/22
192.168.8.0/21

11000000.10101000.00000010.00000000 11000000.10101000.00000100.00000000
11000000.10101000.00001000.00000000 11000000.10101000.00000000.00000000

Summary 192.168.0.0/20

Networks are converted to binary. The summary route is comprised of the least number of bits that are common to all subnets.
CCNA2-13 Chapter 6

CIDR and Route Summarization

192.168.0.0/23

11000000.10101000.00000000.00000000

192.168.2.0/23 192.168.4.0/22
192.168.8.0/21

11000000.10101000.00000010.00000000 11000000.10101000.00000100.00000000
11000000.10101000.00001000.00000000 11000000.10101000.00000000.00000000

Summary 192.168.0.0/20

Requires a classless routing protocol (RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF). The subnet mask of the network MUST be included with the routing update.
CCNA2-14 Chapter 6

Classless Routing Protocol

R2 sends a summarized route out s0/0/1 (different major network)

Classful Update
R3 applies the default /16 subnet mask (different major network)

CCNA2-15

Chapter 6

Classless Routing Protocol

CIDR
Networks 172.16.0.0/16, 172.17.0.0/16, 172.18.0.0/16, and 172.19.0.0/16 can be summarized into the Supernet 172.16.0.0/14.
The /14 (255.252.0.0) subnet mask is included in the routing update.

Classless Update

CCNA2-16

Chapter 6

VLSM and CIDR

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

CCNA2-17

Chapter 6

Review - Creating a Subnet

To subnet a network, the IP address host portion of the subnet mask is divided into two parts. Bits are borrowed from the host portion and assigned to the network portion to create a new network address. The new network address covers a smaller portion of the original network number. It is a sub-network of the original or a subnet.
CCNA2-18 Chapter 6

Review - Creating a Subnet

The borrowed bits become part of the network portion of the IP Address and form the network number.

The remaining host bits

become the host portion and are used to identify individual network hosts and create broadcasts for the new subnet.
Chapter 6

CCNA2-19

Review - Creating a Subnet

The subnet mask changes to reflect the new network/host bit assignment. The same subnet mask applies to ALL networks derived from the subnetting process.

Original Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000 Borrow 8 bits: 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000

New Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

CCNA2-20

Chapter 6

Review - Creating a Subnet The Rules

Host bits must be borrowed in descending order, starting with the left-most bit position and working to the right. A minimum of two bits must remain for host addresses. A remaining host mask of all 0's or all 1's cannot be assigned as a host address. To determine the number of subnets or hosts: Subnets: 2number_of_borrowed_host_bits

Usable Hosts Per Subnet: 2number_of_remaining_host_bits - 2

CCNA2-21

Chapter 6

Review - Creating a Subnet The Rules

To determine the number of hosts: Hosts: 2number_of_remianing_host_bits Usable Hosts Per Subnet: 2number_of_remaining_host_bits - 2 To determine the number of subnets: Subnets: 2number_of_borrowed_host_bits NOTE: It is now possible to use the zero subnet. Previous to allowing its use, subnetting resulted in the loss of the first and last subnets (host bits all 0s and all 1s). That is no longer the case.
CCNA2-22 Chapter 6

Review - Magic Numbers

To make the job of subnetting easier, there is a method that allows you to calculate a "magic" number. The magic number we're looking for is the number of addresses in each network, including the network, broadcast and host range. The calculation 2number_ of_ host_ bits yields the "magic" number. We have 5 host bits remaining so.. 25 = 32 - our "magic" number.
CCNA2-23 Chapter 6

Review - Subnetting - Class C

Network: 192.168.80.0 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.224 Network: 27 bits Host: 5 bits Magic Number: 25 = 32
ID Network Address Subnet Address Range 192.168.80.1 192.168.80.30 192.168.80.33 192.168.80.62 192.168.80.65 192.168.80.94 192.168.80.97 192.168.80.126 Broadcast Address 192.168.80.31 192.168.80.63 192.168.80.95 192.168.80.127

0 192.168.80.0 1 192.168.80.32 2 192.168.80.64 3 192.168.80.96

4 192.168.80.128 192.168.80.129 192.168.80.158 192.168.80.159 5 192.168.80.160 192.168.80.161 192.168.80.190 192.168.80.191 6 192.168.80.192 192.168.80.193 192.168.80.222 192.168.80.223

7 192.168.80.224 192.168.80.225 192.168.80.254 192.168.80.255

CCNA2-24 Chapter 6

Dividing Networks Into the Right Size

192.168.80.192/27 192.168.80.32/27 192.168.80.160/27 192.168.80.0/27 192.168.80.128/27

192.168.80.64/27

192.168.80.96/27

CCNA2-25

Chapter 6

Dividing Networks Into the Right Size

Available: Required: Wasted: 30 5 25
Network 1 Network 2

Assigned 30 30

Required 5 5

Available: Wasted Required: 25 Wasted: 25

26
25

30 2 28

192.168.80.0/27

Network 3
Network 4 Network 5

30
30 30

4
5

2 192.168.80.128/27 28

Network 6
Network Available:7 30 Total Required: 4 Wasted: 26

30
30 210

2
5 28

28
25 182

192.168.80.96/27

CCNA2-26

Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

A serious limitation of using only a single subnet mask across a given network-prefix (the number of network or 1 bits in the mask) was that an organization is locked into a fixed-number of fixed-sized subnets. VLSM enables a network number to be configured with different subnet masks on different interfaces. Subnet an already subnetted network address. Conserves IP addresses. More efficient use of available address space. Allows for more hierarchical levels within an addressing plan.
CCNA2-27 Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

10.0.0.0/8 Subnet using /16

Subnet 10.0.0.0/16
10.1.0.0/16 10.2.0.0/16 10.3.0.0/16 Sub-subnet Etc. Using /24 10.255.0.0/16

1st Host 10.0.0.1

10.1.0.1 10.2.0.1 Subnet 10.2.0.0/24 10.3.0.1 10.2.1.0/24 10.2.2.0/24 10.255.0.1 Etc.

Last Host 10.0.255.254

10.1.255.254 10.2.255.254 1st Host 10.2.0.1 10.3.255.254 10.2.1.1

Broadcast 10.0.255.255
10.1.255.255 10.2.255.255 Last Host 10.2.0.254 10.3.255.255 10.2.1.254 Broadcast 10.2.0.255 10.2.1.255 10.2.2.255

10.2.2.1 10.2.2.254 10.255.255.254 10.255.255.255

10.2.255.0/24

10.2.255.1

10.2.255.254

10.2.255.255

CCNA2-28

Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

192.168.20.64/27 192.168.20.0/27 192.168.20.128/27 192.168.20.128/27

192.168.20.32/27

192.168.20.96/27

192.168.20.64/27

7 Networks with 30 usable addresses for each network Wasted 28 addresses on each WAN link
CCNA2-29 Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

192.168.20.32/27 192.168.20.0/27 192.168.20.64/27 192.168.20.96/27

192.168.20.192/30

192.168.20.196/30

192.168.20.200/30

CCNA2-30

Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

Original 255.255.255.224 Subnet Mask Magic Number 11100000 = 32 192.168.20.0 192.168.20.32 192.168.20.64 00000000 00100000 01000000 255.255.255.252 111111 00 110000 00 Sub-Subnet Mask Magic Number = 4 192.168.20.192

110001 00
110010 00 110011 00 110100 00 110101 00 110110 00 110111 00

192.168.20.196
192.168.20.200 192.168.20.204 192.168.20.208 192.168.20.212 192.168.20.216 192.168.20.220
Chapter 6

192.168.20.96 192.168.20.128
192.168.20.160 192.168.20.192 192.168.20.224
CCNA2-31

01100000 10000000
10100000 11000000 11100000

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

If you know how to subnet, you can do VLSM. Whats the trick?

Always satisfy the requirements of your biggest LAN and then work your way down .
CCNA2-32 Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

Steps for VLSM: 1. List the number of hosts required per network beginning with the largest to the smallest. 2. Convert the subnet mask to binary. 3. Draw a line where the network portion ends. 4. Ask yourself the question How many bits do I need to support the required number of hosts? 5. Move the line to show your new network portion. 6. Determine your new magic number. 7. Finish subnetting using the new magic number. The starting address is always the first network. You cannot go past the next network of the previous level.
CCNA2-33 Chapter 6

Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM)

CCNA2-34

Chapter 6