Interactive Demo — Networking Fundamentals

IP Address & Subnet Visualizer

Click bits across the four octets to build an IPv4 address. Slide the subnet mask to see which bits identify the network and which identify the host — this is the same binary you just practiced, applied to how devices find each other on a network.

Address Bits /24
/24
IP Address
0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
Network Address
0.0.0.0
Usable Hosts
254
Network bits
Host bits
Key Concepts
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Network vs. Host
A subnet mask splits an IP's 32 bits into a network portion (which network) and a host portion (which device on it).
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CIDR Notation
/24 means the first 24 bits are the network portion. Fewer host bits means fewer usable addresses on that subnet.
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Why Subtract 2?
Every subnet reserves its all-zeros address (the network address) and all-ones address (broadcast) — neither is assignable to a device.