Network Foundations Part 3

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IP Addressing & Subnetting

How Devices Communicate

Every device on a network — from a laptop to a point-of-sale terminal — needs an address to send and receive information.
That address is called an IP address, and it’s how every packet of data knows exactly where to go.

Think of it like a street system for data:

  • The IP address is the house number.
  • The subnet is the neighborhood.
  • The router is the post office that delivers between neighborhoods.

As a Network Administrator, your ability to plan, assign, and organize these addresses determines how smoothly your systems communicate.

Why This Matters

Without proper IP management, networks get messy — collisions happen, systems fail to communicate, and troubleshooting becomes chaos.
Subnetting gives you control. It lets you divide networks into logical sections, improve performance, and enhance security.

This is one of the most technical — but also one of the most empowering — skills you’ll learn. Once you understand subnetting, every other networking concept will make more sense.

Learn as You Go: Tasks for This Module

1. Understand IP Address Structure
Research the difference between:

  • IPv4 and IPv6
  • Public vs. Private addresses
  • Static vs. Dynamic (DHCP) assignments

Write short definitions in your own words, and note which you see most often in your daily life (your home network, work, or school).

2. Create IP Addressing Plans
Design three small example networks:

  • Small Office (10 devices)
  • Medium Business (50 devices)
  • Enterprise (200+ devices)

For each one:

  • Assign an IP range (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24)
  • Label which addresses belong to which devices
  • Explain why your structure makes sense

3. Practice Subnetting
Using online tools or manual math, practice dividing a /24 network into smaller subnets.

  • Write out the subnet mask for each network
  • Label the network ID, broadcast address, and usable host range
  • Optional: Use a simulator like Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3 to visualize the layout

Deliverable: Your IP Address Plan

Create a one-page document that includes:

  1. Three subnet tables (for small, medium, large networks)
  2. Diagrams showing how your subnets connect
  3. A brief paragraph explaining how subnetting improves performance and organization

Save this as “Part 3 — IP Address Plan” in your Knowledge Base or folder.
It becomes the foundation for your routing and configuration work later.

Reflection: What You’ll Notice

When you finish this section, you’ll realize that IP addressing isn’t just numbers — it’s architecture.
It’s how you bring order to chaos.
The more you work with it, the more natural it becomes — and soon you’ll be able to look at any network and see the structure beneath the surface.

Next Up: Part 4 — Switching & Routing

Now that you know how devices are identified and grouped, it’s time to learn how they actually move data between each other.
In Part 4, you’ll explore switching and routing — the true mechanics of how traffic flows across your network.

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