Addressing and subnetting practice
You solve address maths from binary to VLSM first by hand, then with ipcalc, and build a real address plan in every section.
Level 101 · 16 lessons · 15 practice labs
Lessons
Binary and masks
- Binary numbers: reading an IP address bit by bit
- Subnet masks and prefix length
- Network address, broadcast and the usable range
- Checking your maths with ipcalc and sipcalc
- Short task: work out which network five addresses belong to
Splitting and summarising
- Splitting a block into equal subnets
- VLSM: subnets of different sizes by need
- Route summarisation: one block for many subnets
- Finding overlapping ranges
- Private, reserved and shared address blocks
- Short task: make a VLSM plan for a three-floor building
IPv6 maths
- IPv6 notation: shortening rules and the full form
- IPv6 prefix planning: from /48 to /64s
- EUI-64 and privacy addresses
- Short task: draw up an IPv6 prefix plan for a branch
Wrap-up
- Capstone: an IPv4 and IPv6 address plan for a growing company
Practice labs
- From binary to an IP address: Convert the binary strings the lab gives you into dotted-decimal addresses and the masks into prefix lengths, and write them to the answer file.
- Are these two machines on the same network?: Work out which of the given address and mask pairs share a subnet, and check your answers with ipcalc.
- Caravan Travel: the masks are mixed up: Find the devices with a wrong mask in the office device list, explain which addresses each cannot reach and write the correct mask.
- Network, broadcast and usable range: For the given addresses and prefixes, work out the network address, broadcast address and usable range, and write them to the answer file.
- The DHCP pool spills outside the subnet: Work out that a DHCP pool does not fit the subnet boundaries and rewrite the pool to the correct range.
- Write your own address calculator: Write a small script that calculates network, broadcast and host count for a list of addresses, and verify it against ipcalc output.
- One block, equal rooms: Split the given block into the requested number of equal subnets and write each range into a table.
- A VLSM plan for Atlas Clinic: Draw up the least wasteful VLSM plan from the given block for four departments of different sizes, and check that no ranges overlap.
- A growing office: extend the plan without breaking it: Fit two new departments into an existing VLSM plan; if that is impossible without touching existing subnets, propose the smallest change and justify it.
- Turn four routes into one line: Work out the smallest summary block that covers the given consecutive subnets and note whether it covers any extra addresses.
- Two merging companies, overlapping addresses: Find the overlapping ranges in the address lists of two merging companies and write down which devices are affected.
- Wrong blocks in the configuration: Classify the addresses in a configuration dump as private, reserved, shared or public, find the misused blocks and propose suitable replacements.
- Shorten and expand IPv6 addresses: Convert the given IPv6 addresses into both their shortest and their full form, and write them to the answer file.
- From MAC to IPv6 address: EUI-64: Calculate the EUI-64 interface ID from the given MAC addresses and sort an address list into EUI-64 and privacy addresses.
- Fix a broken IPv6 plan: Find the mistakes in a campus /48 plan (overlapping /64s, LANs smaller than /64, bad alignment) and write the corrected plan.
About this course
You solve address maths from binary to VLSM first by hand, then with ipcalc, and build a real address plan in every section.
What you will learn
- Binary and masks
- Splitting and summarising
- IPv6 maths
- Wrap-up
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge is needed; the course starts from zero.
Lab environment
Lessons run in your own Kali Linux terminal that opens in the browser. Nothing to install; the lab starts clean in every lesson.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this course right for my level?
- The course is at beginner level; every term is explained where it first appears.
- Is there anything to install?
- No. Every lesson runs in your own lab environment that opens in the browser.
- How do lessons work?
- Each lesson has 8 to 10 steps and a short quiz. Early steps show the command to type, later steps give less help; if two attempts fail, the solution opens.
- Can I try it for free?
- Yes. The first three lessons of every course are free.