Explain what supernetting is

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Although many organizations choose to subnet their IP address, IP addresses can also be combined or aggregated in a process called supernetting. Supernetting borrows bits from the network, rather than from the host (i.e., subnetting), in order to create additional networks. An organization might use supernetting when it has several Class C IP addresses, none of which allow a sufficient number of hosts for the desired network. Remember that a Class C address only allows for a maximum of 254 hosts in the network. Assume you work for an organization that has four Class C addresses at its disposal. Also assume that your organization must have more than 254 hosts in its particular network. Yet, with a Class C address, you are limited to just 254 hosts. Do you give up and tell your boss the company is out of luck? No, instead you recommend supernetting, using supernet masking, and get that big raise and promotion you well deserve. With supernetting, several IP addresses are in effect combined, or masked, to appear as one network that has a larger number of hosts. Rather than implementing supernetting with a subnet mask, a supernet mask can be used instead. A supernet mask works in just the opposite way of a subnet mask. Instead of borrowing bits from the host and making the borrowed bits ones, bits are borrowed from the network portion of the mask and made into zeroes.