100-150 Question 77
Single answerYou are tasked with dividing the IP address range 192.168.1.0/24 into smaller subnets to accommodate four separate departments in your company. Each subnet must support at least 50 devices. What subnet mask should you use to meet the requirements, and how many subnets will you create?
- A
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.128 (/25), Total subnets: 2
- B
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.192 (/26), Total subnets: 4
- C
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.224 (/27), Total subnets: 8
- D
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.240 (/28), Total subnets: 16
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
When subnetting, the subnet mask determines both the number of subnets and the number of host addresses per subnet. A /26 subnet mask provides 4 subnets, each with 62 usable host addresses, satisfying the requirement of at least 50 devices per subnet and 4 subnets for the departments.
- A. Incorrect.
A /25 subnet mask (255.255.255.128) divides the network into 2 subnets, each capable of hosting up to 126 devices. While this supports more than 50 devices per subnet, it does not create enough subnets to accommodate four departments.
- B. Correct.
A /26 subnet mask (255.255.255.192) divides the network into 4 subnets, each capable of hosting up to 62 devices. This meets the requirements for both the number of subnets (4) and the minimum devices per subnet (50).
- C. Incorrect.
A /27 subnet mask (255.255.255.224) divides the network into 8 subnets, each capable of hosting up to 30 devices. This does not meet the requirement of supporting at least 50 devices per subnet.
- D. Incorrect.
A /28 subnet mask (255.255.255.240) divides the network into 16 subnets, each capable of hosting up to 14 devices. This does not meet the requirement of supporting at least 50 devices per subnet.