Final answer:
To divide a class B network into the desired segments, you would use subnet masks of /25, /26, and /27 to accommodate the number of hosts specified for each segment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to divide a class B network into the desired segments, we need to choose the appropriate subnet masks. A subnet mask determines the number of bits used for the network identifier and the host identifier. Let's look at each segment:
- The segment with 110 hosts requires a subnet mask that can accommodate at least 110 hosts. Since 2^7 (128) is the closest power of 2 that is greater than 110, we would use a /25 subnet mask (255.255.255.128).
- The segment with 40 hosts requires a subnet mask that can accommodate at least 40 hosts. Since 2^6 (64) is the closest power of 2 that is greater than 40, we would use a /26 subnet mask (255.255.255.192).
- The two segments with 20 hosts each require a subnet mask that can accommodate at least 20 hosts. Since 2^5 (32) is the closest power of 2 that is greater than 20, we would use a /27 subnet mask (255.255.255.224) for each segment.
Therefore, the combination of subnet masks that would achieve the optimum result is: 1 / 25 segment, 1 / 26 segment, and 2 / 27 segments.