single fixed IP -> 32 hosts ?!

[101]

I read somewhere on the net that a loopback would be appropriate but having read up on a loopback it seems to only be on one reserved IP of 127.0.0.1

The single fixed IP I have been assigned is /32, I thought this leaves me with no space for hosts?

What's going on here? I'm guessing it's something straight forward that I am ignorant of as I don't think i've covered what to do with a /32 thing.

If anyone can help me by pointing me in the right direction i'd really appreciate it, this IS for an assignment but i'm really not expecting someone to just pop up and hand me answers so any help would be really appreciated as I'm very rubbish at Networking.

thanks

[CimmerianX]

I don't understand your question. Do you want to know what subnet mask to use to support 32 hosts? That would be a mask of /26 which supports 62 hosts.

[101]

well, I don't really understand either tbh. Basically I've been given an IP with /32 on the end of it. Which I think means it has a 255.255.255.255 mask. Which means i've got no space for hosts in the regular way in which i've learned it. Yet I'm expected to plan a network for 32 hosts.

[Deepika_KR]

http://krow.net/dict/subnet.html

[101]

yeh thanks, i'll use that in the future, possibly even this assignment if I get past this first hurdle.

for now though it doesn't have any info on what to do when you get a /32 IP :\

[Deepika_KR]

/32 Indicates the Host Address- when u say for instance 192.168.1.1/32 it means you are referring a single host with ip 192.168.1.1....

127.0.0.1 is your localhost, the system you are working on... Try referring the below website

http://www.rhyshaden.com/ipadd.htm

For 32 hosts it would be /27.

[101]

so 127.0.0.0 is a device loopback, so like stuff within a device communicating to themselves?

the link is good, thx, so is the link on the bottom of the link, the RF1918 bit.

So private addressing is where to go, but with say 192.168.1.1 /32 this would have to go to a perimeter router, which would have to be configured with NAT.

Would a server inside the private network be able to be reached by, and send a reply to, traffic outside the private network? (A server is one of the 32 hosts)

thx for replying

[Deepika_KR]

If I have got your question rite then the answer goes this way....

When ever two host try to communicate the first thing that happens is to check if the destination host is in the same network that you are in....For Example:-

IP- 192.168.1.2
Subnet mask- 255.255.255.0
Gateway- 192.168.1.1

AND Ip address with your subnet mask to get the network address, now any host in this network (192.168.1.0-255.255.255.0) you can communicate without any explicit routes.

When you say host outside this network -- then you need a route to reach that network. Anything outside this network is straight away sent to its default gateway 192.168.1.1 , now its this device's job to route this packet to the correct destination.

As far as NAT is concerned it is used for communicating with outside world through private to public ip conversion and vice versa.....

[101]

192.168.1.1 /32 is the IP address assigned to me to build a network with 32 hosts, one of the hosts is a server that needs to be accessed from outside the network.

192.168.1.1 is going to have to be the gateway (a router with NAT configured).

172.x.x.x is going to be the private network only accesible from outside by addressing packets to 192.168.1.1, but then what?

What i'm stuck on is whether it is possible for a request outside of the private network to find its way specifically to the server that is within the private network and vice versa?

[Deepika_KR]

alrite...Now both 172.X.X.X and 192.X.X.X are private address range...Remember you need NAT only when you are outside in the internet and trying to access something say in your office LAN...unless in some exceptional conditions...

Now just configure the router--(Try having a static route)-- such that it knows how to reach both networks and that would be it...

[101]

I didn't realise 192.x.x.x was private, I used that example because you mentioned it earlier, the IP assigned to me was not in the private address range, it was like 180.x.x.x

This network will have access to the internet, i'll try configurin the router in a little bit. thx

[iKay]

You would need to forward ports on your router in order to access the server from inside the NAT over the Internet.

Forwarded ports work fine for most applications however there are some that will not place nice.