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~/geeksubnet/guides

Networking guides

In-depth, example-driven guides to IP addressing. Every worked example can be verified in the free geeksubnet calculator.

These guides go deeper than a quick reference. Each one walks through the underlying mechanics — the binary arithmetic, the design decisions, the gotchas — using examples you can paste straight into the calculator to check. They are written for the moment you actually have to plan an address space, not just pass an exam.

beginner · ~10 min

Subnetting basics: the binary you actually need

Why an IP address is just 32 bits, how the mask splits network from host, and how to subnet a /24 by hand without memorising tables.

intermediate · ~12 min

VLSM: design a real addressing plan

The allocate-largest-first algorithm, a full worked plan for a five-segment network, how to verify there is no overlap, and the mistakes that waste address space.

intermediate · ~11 min

IPv6 addressing for IPv4 engineers

Hex notation and compression rules, the prefix types (GUA, ULA, link-local, multicast), SLAAC and EUI-64, and why there is no broadcast and no NAT.

reference

Subnet mask cheat sheet & reference

Every prefix from /8 to /32 with its mask, wildcard, address count and usable hosts — plus how to read a mask and convert between notations in your head.

Prefer the full single-page reference?

The Learn subnetting page covers IPv4 basics, CIDR, masks, network and broadcast addresses, VLSM, supernetting, IPv6, EUI-64, MTU and TCP MSS in one long read, with a FAQ. The guides above break the trickier topics out into focused, example-heavy walkthroughs.

Open the calculator → Full reference →