Question

Assume the linksys and cisco servers are both assigned static IP addresses (192.168.0.1 & 192.168.0.249). Furthermore, assume the DHCP server has been granted the largest, contiguous block of available IP addresses in the subnet range to give out as dynamic IP addresses.

Mathematically speaking, what is the last possible IP address in the DHCP server's pool for addresses?

What CIDR address is equivalent to the netmask for this subnetwork? Use the client IP address to calculate/format your answer.

Answer 1

To determine the last possible IP address in the DHCP server's pool, we need to clarify the static IP addresses and identify the range of available addresses in the subnet.

**Given:**
- Static IPs:
- Linksys server: `192.168.0.1`
- Cisco server: `192.168.0.249`

These static addresses indicate that they are used and cannot be assigned by the DHCP server.

**Subnet Information:**
Assuming that both static IP addresses are in the same subnet, we also need to define the subnet mask. The typical subnet mask for the private class C network (which `192.168.x.x` falls into) is `255.255.255.0`. This gives a subnet range of:

- **Network Address:** `192.168.0.0`
- **Usable IP Address Range:** `192.168.0.1` to `192.168.0.254`
- **Broadcast Address:** `192.168.0.255`

### Availability of IP Addresses for DHCP

1. **Static IPs Occupied:**
- Linksys: `192.168.0.1` (1st usable IP)
- Cisco: `192.168.0.249`

2. **Remaining Usable IP Range:**
From the usable IP range `192.168.0.1` to `192.168.0.254`, we remove the two static IPs.

- Usable IPs:
- `192.168.0.2` to `192.168.0.248 ` (This actually consists of the usable IP range minus the two static IPs)

### Last Possible IP Address in the DHCP Pool

Since `192.168.0.249` and `192.168.0.1` are occupied, the last available IP address in the DHCP pool would be:

- **Last DHCP Address:** `192.168.0.248`

### CIDR Notation for the Subnet

Given that the subnet mask for the private network is `255.255.255.0`, we can calculate the CIDR notation:

- The subnet mask `255.255.255.0` corresponds to `/24` (because 255 has eight 1's in binary, and there are three 255s and one additional zero, hence 24 bits).

### Summary

- **Last Possible IP Address in DHCP Pool:** `192.168.0.248`
- **CIDR Notation for the Subnet:** `/24`

This all provides clarity on the last available IP address and the appropriate CIDR notation for the subnet.