IP ranges and subnet masks

[Jawloms]

I have a subnet mask of 255.255.254.0 and IP addresses from 10.161.2.1 to 10.161.3.255. This was down to me being with my local authority for Broadband. I now am not, but have kept the IP details the same. How easy is it for me to change the subnet mask to give me more IP addresses? Can I just do it and everything will still work, then I can gradually change the IP addresses of things as I wish? I wondered about going to a 255.255.0.0 range and then having servers in 10.161.x.0, printers in 10.161.y.0, macs in 10.161.z.0 etc etc. Is there anything really to gain by doing this other than I can easily see what a device is just by it's IP?

 

Thank you

 

Stuart

[IrritableTech]

Changing your subnet isn't too difficult as long as you plan and account for everything that may have a fixed ip.

 

Firstly though you need to consider your edge router whether you configure it or someone external to you does. Your router needs to know of any additional subnets so it can route traffic to it.

[DSapseid]

If you are no longer pinned down to what IP's you can use by the LEA you could look at VLAN's and then have different IP ranges for the different things you mention.

 

I have mulitple vlans for clients, servers, cctv, phones, wifi, guest wifi, management.

 

All have there own dhcp scope with a different subnet and ip range that all start 10.1.*.* (clients 10.1.66, servers 10.1.36 etc...)

[Jawloms]

So if my range is 10.161.2.x - 10.161.3.x, can I just change my subnet mask to 255.255.0.0 and everything will still work, or will stuff get grumpy because my IP range doesn't start at 10.161.1.x?

 

Stuart

[mavhc]

It'll be fine, subnet just means: this is on the LAN, don't use the gateway ip. Could go to the standard 255.0.0.0 for 10.* if you want