Structured Design
IPv4 Network Address Planning
IP network planning is crucial to develop a scalable solution to an enterprise network. To develop an IPv4 network wide addressing scheme, you need to know how many subnets are needed, how many hosts a particular subnet requires, what devices are part of the subnet, which parts of your network use private addresses, and which use public, and many other determining factors. Examine the needs of an organization’s network usage and how the subnets will be structured. Perform a network requirement study by looking at the entire network to determining how each area will be segmented. Determine how many subnets are needed and how many hosts per subnet. Determine DHCP address pools and Layer 2 VLAN pools.
Device Address Assignment
Within a network, there are different types of devices that require addresses:
- End user clients – Most use DHCP to reduce errors and burden on network support staff. IPv6 clients can obtain address information using DHCPv6 or SLAAC.
- Servers and peripherals – These should have a predictable static IP address.
- Servers that are accessible from the internet – Servers must have a public IPv4 address, most often accessed using NAT.
- Intermediary devices – Devices are assigned addresses for network management, monitoring, and security.
- Gateway – Routers and firewall devices are gateway for the hosts in that network.
When developing an IP addressing scheme, it is generally recommended that you have a set pattern of how addresses are allocated to each type of device.
Other related topics
| Topic Title | Topic Objective |
|---|---|
| IPv4 Address Structure | Describe the structure of an IPv4 address including the network portion, the host portion, and the subnet mask. |
| IPv4 Unicast, Broadcast, and Multicast | Compare the characteristics and uses of the unicast, broadcast, and multicast IPv4 addresses. |
| Types of IPv4 Addresses | Explain public, private, and reserved IPv4 addresses. |
| Network Segmentation | Explain how subnetting segments a network to enable better communication. |
| Subnet an IPv4 Network | Calculate IPv4 subnets for a /24 prefix. |
| VLSM | Variable length subnet mask is a computer networking technique to divide an IP network into subnets with different subnet masks |