For a newly installed server with an IP address of 10.20.10.15 and a default gateway of 10.20.10.254, which subnet mask would be appropriate?

For a newly installed server with an IP address of 10.20.10.15 and a default gateway of 10.20.10.254, which subnet mask would be appropriate?

• A. 255.255.255.0
• B. 255.255.255.128
• C. 255.255.255.254
• D. 255.255.0.0

Answer: (C)

To determine the appropriate subnet mask for the new server with the given IP address of 10.20.10.15 and a default gateway of 10.20.10.254, it's essential to understand subnetting and how subnet masks function. The IP address falls within the private address space defined by the Class A, B, and C private IP ranges. The address 10.20.10.15 is clearly a Class A address because it starts with "10." Typically, Class A addresses have a default subnet mask of 255.0.0.0, but more commonly, networks will use a smaller subnet mask to create subnets. The correct answer, which is 255.255.255.0, provides a standard Class C subnet mask. This configuration signifies that the first three octets (255.255.255) define the network and the last octet is used for host addresses. In the case of the provided IP address, this setup would allow for a range of addresses from 10.20.10.1 to 10.20.10.254, which includes the default gateway of 10.20.10.254. Using this subnet mask ensures that devices on the same network can

To determine the appropriate subnet mask for the new server with the given IP address of 10.20.10.15 and a default gateway of 10.20.10.254, it's essential to understand subnetting and how subnet masks function.

The IP address falls within the private address space defined by the Class A, B, and C private IP ranges. The address 10.20.10.15 is clearly a Class A address because it starts with "10." Typically, Class A addresses have a default subnet mask of 255.0.0.0, but more commonly, networks will use a smaller subnet mask to create subnets.

The correct answer, which is 255.255.255.0, provides a standard Class C subnet mask. This configuration signifies that the first three octets (255.255.255) define the network and the last octet is used for host addresses. In the case of the provided IP address, this setup would allow for a range of addresses from 10.20.10.1 to 10.20.10.254, which includes the default gateway of 10.20.10.254.

Using this subnet mask ensures that devices on the same network can