Browning - IP Subnetting - From Zero to Guru

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT & LEGAL NOTICE

Published by Reality Press Ltd.

Copyright 2018 by Paul Browning

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic or mechanical, including by photocopying, recording, or using any informational storage or retrieval system, without express, written, and signed permission from the author (with the exception of brief quotations as used in reviews or discussion groups, with attribution to the author and source).

ISBN - 9781731241740

Technical Editors

Thanks to the below technical editors who donated their time to improve this book.

John DeGennaro

Mario Salinas

Charles Burkholder

Steve Quan

Elmarine Jimenez

Thierry Merle

Frank Faith

Charles Pacheco

Jeff Echano

John S. Galliano

Timothy A. Clark

Carol Wood

Michael A. Sisson

Roy Thelin

Ellsworth Wilson

Georgia E. Jaeger

Tim Peel

Also from Reality Press

101 Labs Cisco CCNA

101 Labs CompTIA Network+

101 Labs IP Subnetting

Cisco CCNA Simplified

Cisco CCNA in 60 Days

SubnettingWhat Is It and Why Learn It?

Good question. Let me ask you one back. Are you in the IT industry already, or are you hoping to get into the IT industry and in particular into some sort of helpdesk, PC support, networking, or other technical role?

Subnetting is used all over the world on almost every network (including your home network). Its the process of taking a standard network address and making smaller (sub)networks from it. Its just like cutting a cake into slices, but we are doing it with address ranges instead of food.

Unfortunately, there are special rules you need to follow in order to avoid getting into trouble and assigning the incorrect address to the wrong device or part of your network. These rules have been frustrating IT students and engineers for decades.

When I started consulting in IT, I found to my horror that around 95% of IT people didnt actually know how IP addressing and subnetting actually work. They relied on online calculators to answer any problems. These wont help you in exams, job interviews, or if your boss or customer is standing over you as you try to fix an IP addressing issue.

If you want to be in the IT industry, you must understand how to subnet. You will be challenged on subnetting questions in:

• Job interviews for IT roles
• Carrying out your IT job
• Any IT exam you want to pass

In fact, subnetting questions will form around 9% of your final score in most IT exams.

I spent many weeks trying to learn the process of subnetting when I started studying for the CCNA exam. I took the exam and failed miserably, my (lack of) understanding of IP subnetting letting me down.

A few years later I began teaching IT courses and invented my own way of subnetting. This easy way to subnet will get you through any IT exam, technical interview, or real-world subnetting problem. If you spend just a few hours reading this book and following my examples, you will be able to subnet very quickly and accurately. I guarantee it in fact.

Introduction to 2018 Edition

Its hard to believe that I first wrote this book in 2006. So much has changed since then, including my having three children and emigrating from the UK to Australia.

So much has also changed in the world of IT. Cloud computing has exploded onto the scene, and IPv6 is now ubiquitous. As an IT engineer you are expected to know so much more now. Whereas back in the day you could afford to be an expert in just one area, now the typical IT person should know about wireless, IPv6, security, cloud, mobile technology, IoT, and much more.

Thankfully, certifications such as CompTIA Network+ cover all of this and more.

IP subnetting is extensively tested now, more than ever. In every IT exam from Cisco, CompTIA, Microsoft, Amazon, Juniper, Wireshark, and others, you must have a strong grasp of subnetting principles. You are also now tested on IPv6 concepts, which proves an entirely new challenge.

This new edition reflects changes from feedback Ive had from the many thousands of students who have used my easy subnetting method to pass their exams, ace technical job interviews, and solve problems at work as an IT engineer.

About Me

I served as a police officer in the UK for 12 years. I was in uniform on the streets as a police constable and then served as a detective. I was promoted after about 7 years to sergeant and worked in uniform in Birmingham for 5 years before leaving for a career in IT. I worked on a helpdesk for a while and studied hard, and over a period of several years I passed my MCSE, A+, Network+, CCNA, and CCNP and then my CCIE written exams. Just for the record, I find studying really hard, so for every hour everybody else was putting in I had to do two.