Question

How many hosts are addressable on a network that has a mask of [missing mask value]?

a) 2
b) 6
c) 8
d) 14
e) 16
f) 254

Answer 1

The number of addressable hosts on a network with a specific subnet mask is calculated using the formula 2 raised to the power of the number of available bits, minus 2.

Step-by-step explanation:

The number of addressable hosts on a network is determined by the subnet mask. The subnet mask is used to divide an IP address into a network address and a host address. To calculate the number of hosts, you need to determine the number of bits that are available for the host address. The formula to calculate the number of hosts is 2 raised to the power the number of available bits, minus 2 (reserved for the network address and the broadcast address).

For example, if the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 in dotted decimal notation, it can also be represented as /24 in CIDR notation. In this case, there are 8 bits available for the host address (32 - 24). Applying the formula, there are 2 raised to the power 8, minus 2, which equals 254.

Therefore, the correct answer is f) 254. There are 254 addressable hosts on a network with a mask of 255.255.255.0.