Nokia Certified Network Associate (NCNA) — Question 56

A network administrator is creating a subnet plan for the address 172.16.0.0/16. The network must support 459 hosts on each subnet while providing the maximum number of subnets. What subnet mask should be used?

Answer options

• A. 255.255.0.0
• B. 255.255.128.0
• C. 255.255.224.0
• D. 255.255.254.0

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct subnet mask is 255.255.254.0, which allows for 512 addresses per subnet, accommodating 459 hosts. The other options do not provide enough subnets or exceed the needed capacity for hosts per subnet. Specifically, 255.255.0.0 offers too few subnets, while 255.255.128.0 and 255.255.224.0 do not support the required number of hosts.