Home > Ask the Networking Experts > Networking fundamentals Questions & Answers > Can IP addresses of LANs that make up a WAN be the same?
Ask The Networking Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Can IP addresses of LANs that make up a WAN be the same?

Chris Partsenidis EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Chris Partsenidis

Pose a Question
Other Networking Categories
Meet all Networking Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Routing and switching news, advice and technical information
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 08 September 2008
I would like to know whether the IP addresses for different physical locations (LANs) making up a WAN can be the same. For example, if a WAN comprises three locations, (A, B, and C) can the IP address in any two or all three locations be 216.62.86.100?

>
The answer to your question is yes and no.

You can actually have as many locations as you want with the same IP addresses as long as they don't need to communicate between each other. If Location A needs to communicate with Location B or C, then you've got a problem; to be specific, it's what we call a "routing problem." Packets between networks won't be able to find their way to their correct destination because each location has the same addressing scheme.

Generally, when we design a network, we follow some guidelines and rules to ensure things will work with the least amount of possible problems. A fundamental rule in network design is to ensure we don't have overlapping networks, that is, each location must be unique and not overlap with another.


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google



RELATED CONTENT
Networking fundamentals
VLANs versus IP subnets: Why use a VLAN over IP subnetting?
Difference between circuit-switching and packet-switching in examples
Can Network Address Translation work without static IP addresses?
Can building T3 lines using satellite be cheaper than a carriers'?
How each wireless technology differs: Wi-Fi, WiMax and WLANs
Do multiple router interfaces affect the amount of IP addresses?
How can I prevent collisions on my network?
What makes a WAN different from a LAN and MAN?
The difference between half-duplex and full-duplex
What is a logical network? How do you improve one?

IP Networking
What is the definition of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)?
Do I have to disable DHCP on my router to create a DHCP server?
Windows Server 2008 IP routing configuration: Static and dynamic RIPv2
What is IP?
Connect your LAN to the Internet using static or dynamic NAT
Using tracert and TTL to troubleshoot network connectivity problems
Test your TCP/IP protocol stack to troubleshoot network connectivity
IP addressing and subnetting explained
Checking IP configuration to troubleshoot Windows network connectivity
Does IPv6 abandon TCP/IP fragmentation?

Network Administration
Why is access denied to my Active Directory (AD) users and computers?
What network loss testing tools/methods calculate dropped packets from a PC?
Network user management
Do I have to disable DHCP on my router to create a DHCP server?
What preventative maintenance procedures for network devices exist?
Top 10 reasons why computers do not have network access to each other
Troubleshooting -- 'Network Know-How' Chapter 17
How server virtualization improves efficiency in a client-server model
Understand Windows tracert output to troubleshoot network connectivity
Why would a computer show drive letters for discs that don't exist?
Network Administration Research

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
32-bit IP addressing  (SearchNetworking.com)
fixed-length subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com)
GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol)  (SearchNetworking.com)
route aggregation  (SearchNetworking.com)
route summarization  (SearchNetworking.com)
routing table  (SearchNetworking.com)
subnet  (SearchNetworking.com)
subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com)
variable-length subnet mask  (SearchNetworking.com)
wildcard mask  (SearchNetworking.com)

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice



Expert networking advice and tips for IT professionals
About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
SEARCH 
TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000 - 2009, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts