A branch office needs four subnets from the 192.168.50.0/24 network, with each subnet supporting up to 50 hosts. Which prefix length should be used for each subnet?

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Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger IP network into smaller, more manageable subnetworks. It involves borrowing bits from the host portion of an IP address to create additional network bits, which increases the number of available subnets but reduces the number of hosts per subnet. In the context of the 192.168.50.0/24 network, the original prefix length of /24 means there are 256 total addresses, with 254 usable host addresses per subnet. To meet the requirement of four subnets each supporting up to 50 hosts, the subnet mask must provide at least 50 usable host addresses per subnet. A /26 prefix length divides the /24 network into four equal subnets, each with 64 total addresses and 62 usable host addresses (subtracting network and broadcast addresses). This satisfies the requirement perfectly, as /26 balances the number of subnets and host capacity efficiently. A common exam trap is confusing the number of subnets with the number of hosts per subnet. For example, a /25 mask creates only two subnets, which is insufficient for the four required subnets, even though it supports enough hosts. Conversely, a /27 mask creates more subnets but only 30 usable hosts, which is below the 50-host requirement. Understanding how subnet masks affect both subnet quantity and host capacity is critical for accurate subnetting decisions in Cisco CCNA scenarios.

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