Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!HGRRUG5.BITNET!FOKKINGA
From: FOKKINGA@HGRRUG5.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Internet subnet addressing
Message-ID: <8803181033.aa13032@Louie.UDEL.EDU>
Date: 18 Mar 88 15:30:00 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 22



Our University TCP/IP network has been assigned a class B internet number.
We decided to use subnets and we expected 8 bits to be insufficient for
the addressing of hosts, so we assigned 6 bits to subnets and 10 bits
to hosts. However our main ethernet network keeps growing and growing and
all kinds of local nets are interconnected by means of bridges. In the
near future we will run out of host addresses. So we will have to reduce
the number of subnet bits still further. This has the disadvantage that
networks that are connected via IP routers do consume a large amount
of addresses for only a few hosts.
Our question is therefore: If we want to keep the same number of subnet bits,
do we have to add routers or gateways in the network or is it possible
to use some trick so that more than one subnet address can be used on
the same physical network? And finally: How do people manage to live
with 8 bits for host addressing. Is there some disadvantage in using
such a large ethernet network that we have overlooked so far?
Thank in advance,

Douwe Fokkinga
Rekencentrum Rijks Universiteit Groningen
BITNET: FOKKINGA@HGRRUG5