OMG Subnetting

I've just read chapter 2 on the Msft Press book on subnetting (understanding TCP/IP).............

Is it really that complex?, as i've abandonned that chapter totally.

One minute im learning about APIPA and setting binding orders and static ip's, next im hit by all this 'n to the power(256-32)n/p -2 = y' and theres like 60 different formulas and methods of converting things, and its saying i need to remember and do this in my head as you dont have time to write any of it down in the exam, and they could ask you anything on any of the 60 formulas or methods they've just gone on about.

Has anyone else seen the chapter i'm on about?.

By all means i understand the concepts they're getting at but damn, you could do 5 exams on what was in that chapter alone!!

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Comments

leefdaddy

Well... I recently took 291, last Friday and I got 0 subnetting questions if that's any help... I spent a lot of time studying it also as it's not something I use normally.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

I know this is going to sound weird, but that chapter actually made subnetting a whole lot clearer for me. Granted, I had to concentrate pretty hard to retain the information, but once you practice it's really easy. I think this book helped me understand subnetting better than any of those subnetting websites, network+ books, etc.

BTW if you think that chapter was fun, wait till you get to DNS

Claymoore

Relax, subnetting is easy. So easy that you probably won't get any direct subnetting questions. In the 20 MS exams I have taken (including TCP/IP on NT4), I have only ever had 1 subnetting question like 'what subnet mask is needed to support x number of clients'. It's a shame too, because I like free points on easy questions.

What you will find are questions that require an understanding of subnetting in order to diagnose a problem and find an answer. Problems like this one (that I just made up):

Client1 10.10.10.10 255.255.0.0 DG 10.10.10.1
Router1 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0
Router2 10.10.20.1 255.255.255.0
Server2 10.10.20.20 255.255.255.0 DG 10.10.20.1

Client1 cannot connect to Server2, but can ping Router1 and connect to the internet. What's wrong?

Answer (highlight to view):

Client1 has an incorrect subnet mask. It thinks Server2 is on the same local subnet so it does not forward the packets to the router.

The good news is that once you learn how to subnet, you will never forget it. Start with Learn To Subnet:* A Free, Lecture-Based Presentation on IP Addressing and Subnetting to get the basics. The website is free, but the CD contains valuable information on CIDR subnetting, whose use and notation is more common today than classful dotted decimal masks. I even had a Microsoft exam question recently that used CIDR notation. More free points if you understand subnetting.

Big Jizay

It's weird. Subnetting is one of the hardest and easiest things to learn. At first it seems SO difficult, but once you learn it, you'll never forget it and it'll be a piece of cake. You'll be able to do it in your head!

bpmufc

I am also studying for the 291. Looked at the MS press, subnetting and got totally lost. I watched a CBT and it was explained a lot clearly and shows how it’s done, my be worth investing in a CBT as RRAS is explained in a lot of detail.

kctxau

Highlight what to view? I'm not so much interested in the answer to the problem, but as how you are displaying the answer? I see nothing, regardless of the browser type.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Hit CTRL+A

KGhaleon

or just hold the mouse button and drag it over that blank space.

<_< >_> cough

finkle636

I've just reviewed the CBT nuggets on custom subnetting, in the exam do they provide you the calculator tool in scientific mode for converting decimal to binary. As his method of working out relies totally on this, the only difficult thing is trying to remember the 6 or 7 formulas needed in your head.

bpmufc

you get a calculator for every exam.

genXrcist

Claymoore wrote: »

Relax, subnetting is easy. So easy that you probably won't get any direct subnetting questions. In the 20 MS exams I have taken (including TCP/IP on NT4), I have only ever had 1 subnetting question like 'what subnet mask is needed to support x number of clients'. It's a shame too, because I like free points on easy questions.

+1

Free points are good. I wish I had gotten a bunch of subnetting questions on the 70-293.

There are multiple ways to subnet, just look around until you find one that makes sense for you. For me, it was the way Jeremy Ciara (sp?) explained it in the CBTNuggets CCNA lessons.