What is a logical network? How do you improve one?

I wanted to know what a logical network is and what the importance of one is. I also wanted to know what the best solutions or measurements are to improve logical networks.

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The term "logical network" is usually combined with the known term "physical network." When designing a network, the "logical" part refers to the IP addressing scheme used within the network. For example, 192.168.0.0/24 could be the logical network used for our design. Breaking up our example, our logical network consists of a few important points, which we should be aware of:
  • Network ID (192.168.0.0)
  • Subnet mask (/24 = 255.255.255.0)
  • Usable IP addresses (254 IP addresses)
  • Broadcast address (192.168.0.255)
This information exists in every logical network and is vital information as it helps us determine how the design will be usable according to our needs.

Selecting the appropriate IP numbering scheme and subnet mask will determine how many usable IP addresses will be available for you. If you have many networks within your company, you should then be careful not to have overlapping or similar networks. Each network must be unique, otherwise routing problems can occur.

If you require further information on network design, you can refer to SearchNetworking.com's Network Design Topics Page or visit my website at www.Firewall.cx. If you have any questions about IP addressing and subnetting, view SearchNetworking.com's IP addressing and subnetting fundamentals crash course or tip on how to subnet by contributor Mimi Shaw.

This was first published in June 2008

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