Tutorials · Routing & Internet
How to Plan IP Addressing and Subnets for a Business Network
A clean IP plan makes networks easier to secure, troubleshoot and grow. Learn a simple scheme you can reuse on every site.
Before you start
- A list of sites, VLANs and expected device counts
Step by step
Pick a private range
Use 10.0.0.0/8 for multi-site networks. It leaves room for every site and VLAN.
Encode site and VLAN
For example 10.<site>.<vlan>.0/24: site 1, VLAN 30 (CCTV) becomes 10.1.30.0/24.
Size subnets
A /24 gives 254 addresses. Use /23 or /22 for large Wi-Fi guest networks, and /30 or /31 for point-to-point links.
Reserve ranges
Keep .1 for the gateway, .2–.20 for network devices and servers, and the rest for DHCP.
Document
Keep the plan in a shared spreadsheet or IPAM tool and update it with every change.
Pro tips
- Avoid 192.168.0.0/24 and 192.168.1.0/24 for business sites; home routers use them and VPN users will clash.
- Never reuse a subnet on two sites that will be connected by VPN.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many hosts fit in a /24?
254 usable addresses.
Keep learning
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Read more →Stuck on a step?
Ask Navijin technical support or an authorised partner for help with your configuration.