Content

| Summary

This module described how all of the following could enable more efficient use of IP addresses:

- Subnet masks
- VLSMs
- Private addressing
- Network address translation (NAT)

It also showed that hierarchical addressing allows for efficient allocation of addresses and a reduced number of routing table entries. VLSMs, specifically, provide the capability to include more than one subnet mask within a network and the capability to subnet an already subnetted network address. Proper IP addressing is required to ensure the most efficient network operations. Finally, the IPv6 addressing format was presented.