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IP Subnet Calculator

Calculate network, broadcast, host range and masks from any IPv4 CIDR.

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What You Should Know

An IP subnet calculator takes an IPv4 address with a prefix length (like 192.168.1.0/24) or a dotted netmask and returns the network address, broadcast address, first and last usable host, host count, netmask, and wildcard mask. All math runs instantly in your browser using 32-bit arithmetic - nothing is sent to a server. It handles every prefix from /0 to /32, including the /31 point-to-point and /32 host-route special cases.

Runs 100% in your browser - your data never leaves your device

Type a CIDR like 10.0.0.0/8, or an address plus a prefix or netmask.

Network address192.168.1.0
Broadcast address192.168.1.255
Usable host range192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.254
Usable hosts254
Netmask255.255.255.0
Wildcard mask0.0.0.255
Mask (binary)11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
Class C
Legacy class (first octet)
Private (RFC 1918, 192.168.0.0/16)
Address scope
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Using the IP Subnet Calculator

  1. Type a CIDR such as 10.0.0.0/8 straight into the address field - the prefix is read from after the slash.
  2. Or enter a plain address like 192.168.1.25 and pick a prefix length from the dropdown, or paste a dotted netmask such as 255.255.255.0.
  3. Read the results instantly: network address, broadcast address, first and last usable host, host count, netmask, wildcard mask, and the mask in binary.
  4. Copy any value with its Copy button - useful when filling router configs or firewall rules.

How the Math Works

Every IPv4 address is a 32-bit number. The prefix length splits those bits into a network part and a host part. The calculator builds the netmask by setting the first n bits to 1, then derives everything else with three bitwise operations: network = address AND mask, broadcast = network OR NOT mask, and wildcard = NOT mask. The usable range is the network address plus one through the broadcast address minus one. All of it runs in your browser with unsigned 32-bit arithmetic; no address you type ever leaves the page.

Where Subnet Math Comes Up

  • Carving a VPC or office network into smaller subnets and checking how many hosts each /26 or /27 actually holds.
  • Writing firewall rules or Cisco ACLs that need the wildcard-mask form instead of the netmask.
  • Checking whether two addresses are in the same subnet before debugging a "no route to host" error.
  • Planning point-to-point router links with /31 prefixes to avoid burning four addresses per link.
  • Translating between the prefix notation used in cloud consoles and the dotted masks expected by legacy equipment.

Edge Cases the Tool Handles

  • /31 - treated per RFC 3021: two usable addresses, no broadcast, flagged with a note.
  • /32 - a single host route; network and broadcast do not apply.
  • /0 - the default route matching all 4.3 billion addresses.
  • Non-contiguous masks such as 255.0.255.0 are rejected with an error instead of producing nonsense.
  • Address scope is identified automatically: RFC 1918 private ranges, loopback, link-local, carrier-grade NAT, or public.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CIDR notation?

CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) writes an address and its network size together: 192.168.1.0/24 means the first 24 bits identify the network and the remaining 8 bits identify hosts. It replaced the old class A/B/C system in 1993 (RFC 1519) because fixed class boundaries wasted enormous address blocks. The /24 suffix is the prefix length, and it maps directly to a netmask: /24 is 255.255.255.0.

How is the number of usable hosts calculated?

For a prefix length of /30 or shorter, usable hosts = 2^(32 - prefix) - 2. The two subtracted addresses are the network address (all host bits zero) and the broadcast address (all host bits one). A /24 therefore has 2^8 - 2 = 254 usable hosts. The exceptions: /31 links have exactly 2 usable addresses (RFC 3021 drops network/broadcast on point-to-point links), and a /32 is a single host route.

What is a wildcard mask and where is it used?

A wildcard mask is the bitwise inverse of the netmask: 255.255.255.0 inverts to 0.0.0.255. Cisco ACLs and OSPF network statements use wildcard masks instead of netmasks, with 0 bits meaning "must match" and 1 bits meaning "ignore". This calculator shows both so you can copy whichever form your configuration syntax expects.

Why does a /31 subnet have no broadcast address?

RFC 3021 allows /31 prefixes on point-to-point links precisely because there are only two parties, so directed broadcast is meaningless. Both addresses in the pair are assigned to interfaces. Routers from all major vendors support this; it halves the address cost of point-to-point links compared to the traditional /30.

Does this tool support IPv6?

Not in this version - it is IPv4-only. IPv6 prefix math is conceptually identical (a /64 splits the 128-bit address into network and interface halves) but the numbers need 128-bit arithmetic and the output format differs enough that it deserves its own tool.

Is my IP address sent anywhere when I use this?

No. The calculator is a small Preact component that does all the bit arithmetic locally with 32-bit unsigned operations. There is no fetch call, no lookup service, and no logging of what you type. You can verify this in DevTools: the Network tab stays silent while you type.

How do I convert a netmask like 255.255.240.0 to a prefix length?

Count the consecutive 1 bits from the left: 255.255.240.0 in binary is 11111111.11111111.11110000.00000000, which is 20 ones, so it equals /20. This tool does the conversion automatically when you type a dotted mask in the netmask field - and it rejects non-contiguous masks like 255.0.255.0, which are invalid for subnetting.

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