A subnet is a division of an IP network, where an IP network is a set of communications protocols used on the Internet, commonly known as TCP/IP.
| Class | Leading Bits | Address Range | Default Mask | Private Ranges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A | 0 | 1.0.0.0 - 126.255.255.255 | 255.0.0.0 (/8) | 10.0.0.0/8 |
| Class B | 10 | 128.0.0.0 - 191.255.255.255 | 255.255.0.0 (/16) | 172.16.0.0/12 |
| Class C | 110 | 192.0.0.0 - 223.255.255.255 | 255.255.255.0 (/24) | 192.168.0.0/16 |
The act of dividing a network is called subnetting, and routers serve as the physical boundary for traffic exchange between subnetworks.