Computer Network Basics Questions Long
The purpose of a subnet mask in IP addressing is to determine the network and host portions of an IP address.
In IP addressing, an IP address is divided into two parts: the network portion and the host portion. The subnet mask is a 32-bit value that is used to identify which part of the IP address belongs to the network and which part belongs to the host.
The subnet mask consists of a series of 1s followed by a series of 0s. The 1s represent the network portion of the IP address, while the 0s represent the host portion. By applying the subnet mask to an IP address, the network device can determine which part of the IP address is the network address and which part is the host address.
When a device wants to send data to another device on the same network, it uses the subnet mask to determine if the destination IP address is on the same network or a different network. If the destination IP address is on the same network, the device can send the data directly to the destination device. If the destination IP address is on a different network, the device needs to send the data to a router, which will then forward the data to the appropriate network.
In summary, the purpose of a subnet mask in IP addressing is to determine the network and host portions of an IP address, allowing devices to determine if the destination IP address is on the same network or a different network.