CCNA Network Infrastructure and Connectivity Practice Question
A host is configured as 192.168.50.130/25. Which address is the broadcast address for its subnet?
⚠ Common exam trap
A frequent exam trap is mistaking the network address or a high usable host address for the broadcast address. Candidates often select 192.168.50.128, confusing it as the broadcast because it is the start of the upper subnet, or 192.168.50.254, assuming it is the broadcast since it is near the subnet's end. The trap lies in not recognizing that the broadcast address is always the highest address in the subnet, which in this case is 192.168.50.255. Misidentifying these addresses leads to incorrect subnet calculations and can cause network communication failures in real scenarios.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
192.168.50.255
A /25 divides the /24 into two blocks: 0–127 and 128–255. In plain language, because the host ends in 130, it belongs to the upper half, which starts at 128 and ends at 255. The last address in that block is the broadcast address, so the broadcast is 192.168.50.255. This is a classic subnetting pattern because it tests whether you can identify not just the subnet, but also the reserved last address in that subnet.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
192.168.50.127
Why it's wrong here
The address .127 is the broadcast address of the lower /25 subnet, 192.168.50.0/25, which spans from .0 to .127. However, the configured IP .130 belongs to the upper subnet (.128/25), so the lower subnet's broadcast is not applicable. For the subnet containing .130, the broadcast is .255, not .127.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the subnet mask is /25 and the network address is 192.168.50.0, the broadcast address for the subnet would be 192.168.50.127. A question could ask for the broadcast address of the subnet 192.168.50.0/25, making this option correct.
- ✗
192.168.50.128
Why it's wrong here
The address .128 is the network address of the upper /25 subnet, not its broadcast. In 192.168.50.128/25, the network address has all host bits set to 0, yielding .128 as the identifier for the subnet itself. The broadcast address is the last address, .255, while .128 merely marks the starting boundary of that subnet.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified a subnet mask of /25 for the address 192.168.50.128, then option B would be correct as the broadcast address for that subnet would be 192.168.50.255, and the first usable address would be 192.168.50.129.
- ✓
192.168.50.255
Why this is correct
With a /25 prefix, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.128, which splits the 192.168.50.0/24 network into two 128-address blocks. The address 192.168.50.130 falls into the upper block, 192.168.50.128/25, which spans .128 through .255. The broadcast address is the last address in that block, .255, where all seven host bits are set to 1.
- ✗
192.168.50.254
Why it's wrong here
The address .254 is the last usable host address in the 192.168.50.128/25 subnet. Usable host addresses are those between the network address (.128) and the broadcast address (.255), specifically .129 through .254. Since .255 is reserved as the broadcast, .254 cannot be the broadcast address; it is a valid host assignment.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question specified a subnet mask of /24 instead of /25, then 192.168.50.254 would be the broadcast address for the subnet 192.168.50.0/24, as it would cover the range from 192.168.50.0 to 192.168.50.255.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓192.168.50.255Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
With a /25 prefix, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.128, which splits the 192.168.50.0/24 network into two 128-address blocks. The address 192.168.50.130 falls into the upper block, 192.168.50.128/25, which spans .128 through .255. The broadcast address is the last address in that block, .255, where all seven host bits are set to 1.
✗192.168.50.127Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The /25 subnet mask (255.255.255.128) divides the 192.168.50.0/24 network into two subnets: 192.168.50.0/25 (range .0-.127) and 192.168.50.128/25 (range .128-.255). The broadcast address for the lower subnet is 192.168.50.127, but the host 192.168.50.130 belongs to the upper subnet, so this is not its broadcast.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the subnet mask is /25 and the network address is 192.168.50.0, the broadcast address for the subnet would be 192.168.50.127. A question could ask for the broadcast address of the subnet 192.168.50.0/25, making this option correct.
Why candidates choose this
Students often confuse the broadcast address of the lower subnet with that of the upper subnet, especially when the host IP is close to the subnet boundary.
✗192.168.50.128Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
192.168.50.128 is the network address of the upper /25 subnet (192.168.50.128/25). It is not a broadcast address; it identifies the subnet itself and cannot be assigned to a host.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified a subnet mask of /25 for the address 192.168.50.128, then option B would be correct as the broadcast address for that subnet would be 192.168.50.255, and the first usable address would be 192.168.50.129.
Why candidates choose this
Some might think that the first address after the subnet boundary is the broadcast, but it is actually the network address. The broadcast is the last address in the range.
✗192.168.50.254Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
192.168.50.254 is a valid host address within the 192.168.50.128/25 subnet (usable range .129-.254). It is not the broadcast address; the broadcast is .255.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question specified a subnet mask of /24 instead of /25, then 192.168.50.254 would be the broadcast address for the subnet 192.168.50.0/24, as it would cover the range from 192.168.50.0 to 192.168.50.255.
Why candidates choose this
Students might assume that the last usable host address (.254) is the broadcast, but the broadcast is actually the very last address (.255) in the subnet.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
IPv4 Addressing and Address Classes
Key term
Classless Inter-domain Routing
Classless Inter-domain Routing (CIDR) is a method for allocating IP addresses and routing IP packets more efficiently by replacing the old class-based system with variable-length subnet masks.
Key term
Subnet
A subnet is a logical subdivision of an IP network, created by partitioning a larger network address space using subnet masks.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.