62. A customer wants to separate the finance department from the marketing department. The network administrator suggests segmenting the existing Class C network into two sections and readdressing all devices appropriately. Which of the following subnet masks should the network administrator use?
Answer: B
The network administrator should use a /25 subnet mask.
A /25 subnet mask provides two equal subnetworks, each capable of supporting 126 hosts. This is ideal for separating the finance department from the marketing department, as it allows for sufficient address space for each while maintaining security and organization within the network.
A) /24
A /24 subnet mask would create only one subnet with 254 usable addresses. This is not suitable for the requirement to separate the finance and marketing departments, as it does not provide the necessary segmentation.
B) /25
A /25 subnet mask is appropriate because it divides the network into two subnets, each containing 126 usable IP addresses. This segmentation meets the customer's needs for separating the finance and marketing departments effectively.
C) /26
A /26 subnet mask would create four subnets, each with 62 usable addresses. While it does allow for some segmentation, it provides fewer addresses per segment than required and is not optimal for the customer's request.
D) /27
A /27 subnet mask creates eight subnets, each with only 30 usable addresses. This is inadequate for either department, as it would not support the number of devices typically found in a finance or marketing department.
Conclusion
Using a /25 subnet mask effectively addresses the customer's need to separate the finance and marketing departments by providing two subnets with ample address space. Other options, such as /24, /26, and /27, either do not provide sufficient segmentation or usable addresses, making them unsuitable for this scenario.