/24 subnet (255.255.255.0)

A /24 network has 256 addresses, of which 254 can be given to hosts after the network and broadcast addresses. The most common LAN size: 254 hosts, the classic “class C” network such as 192.168.1.0/24.

CIDR notation
/24
Subnet mask
255.255.255.0
Wildcard mask
0.0.0.255
Binary mask
11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000
Total addresses
256
Usable hosts
254
Example network
192.168.1.0/24
Example usable range
192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.254
/24 networks in a /24
1

Calculate a /24 for your own address

192.168.1.0/24 split into /24 networks

NetworkUsable rangeBroadcast
192.168.1.0/24192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.254192.168.1.255

In firewall rules and investigations

A /24 rule matches every address from 192.168.1.0 to 192.168.1.255. In Cisco ACLs the same range is written with the wildcard mask 0.0.0.255. When an alert names an IP, checking whether it falls inside a known /24 (your own network, a cloud provider’s published range or a blocked range) is often the quickest first step.