Supernet

From Free net encyclopedia

In Internet networking terminology, a supernet is a block of contiguous subnetworks addressed as a single subnet.

Supernetting is a networking technique which allows the use of multiple IP networks on the same network interface. It is the inverse of subnetting, which allows the use of a single IP network on multiple interfaces. Supernetting is typically used to extend legacy Class C networks.

For supernetting to work, you must be using static routing everywhere or be using a routing protocol which supports classless routing, such as RIPv2 (or OSPF) which can carry subnet mask information with the routing update. The older RIPv1 protocol only understands classful addressing, and therefore cannot transmit subnet mask information.