Benefits of Purchasing A /24 IP Block for Your Business

A /24 block is ideal if you are running a medium-sized business. It can accommodate 256 IP addresses, which is quite typical for businesses of that size.

For us to understand the benefits of /24 IP blocks, we'll answer a few questions first:

What is a /24 IP block?

What is a CIDR?

What are the benefits of CIDR?

Once we've answered these questions, we can answer the most important one: what are the considerations to take into account when purchasing a /24 IP block?

What is 24 IP Block

A /24 (pronounced "slash twenty-four") IP block represents a subnet mask that can accommodate 256 IP addresses.

/24 is a form of annotation called CIDR. When you convert a subnet mask into binary, that's how you get its CIDR.

Let's take 255.255.255.0 as an example. When converted to binary, it will look like this: 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000. As you may observe, we have a total of 24 consecutive '1's in that conversion. Therefore, the subnet mask is denoted in CIDR as /24.

But what exactly is CIDR?

CIDR, or Classless Inter-Domain Routing, is a way to allocate dynamic IP addresses, designed to improve the efficiency of data routing across a network. Each device, server, or end-user connecting to the web possesses a unique identifier known as an IP address. These IP addresses serve as the means through which devices locate and communicate with one another. Organizations employ CIDR to allocate IP addresses with flexibility and efficiency within their networks.

To understand CIDR, we need to look into what makes up an IP address:

1. The network address: represented as a sequence of numerical digits that identifies the unique network. In the following example: 192.168.1.132, the network address is 192.168.1.

1. The host address: a set of numbers indicating the individual device's identifier within that network. In the previous example, 192.168.1.132, the host address is .132. Each device in a network has its own host address.

Before we discuss CIDR any further, let's look back at the history of IP addresses so we can appreciate CIDR.

IP addresses were distributed using the classful addressing system until the early 1990s. This system featured fixed address lengths and a predetermined allocation of bits for the network and host portions.

In the classful system, we had three classes of IPv4 addresses:

· Class A: 8 network prefix bits (e.g., 44.0.0.1)

· Class B: 16 network prefix bits (e.g., 128.16.0.2)

· Class C: 24 network prefix bits (e.g., 192.168.1.100)

You can just imagine how time-consuming it is to manually configure a network each time a new device is added.

CIDR made it possible to implement variable-length subnet masking (VLSM). Subnet masking works in two parts:

· It allows specific identifiers to extract the network address from the IP address; then,

· It renders the host address as zeroes.

This flexibility enabled network administrators to divide IP address spaces into subnets that have varying sizes. Each smaller network is set up with its unique count of hosts and IP addresses. CIDR notation signifies the number of network address prefix bits appended to a standard IP address.

For example, 192.0.2.0/24 represents an IPv4 CIDR address with the first 24 bits (192.0.2) designating the network address.

CIDR effectively overcame the limitations of classful IP addressing:

1. Inflexible IP addressing: The classful system had rigid limits on the number of devices each class could support, leading to inefficient use of IP address space.

1. Limitations in network design: Combining networks under the classful system was constrained by fixed subnet masks.

The benefits of CIDR are huge:

It reduced IP address wastage. CIDR enables precise allocation of IP addresses, minimizing waste and simplifying data routing.

It allowed faster data transmission. Efficient subnetting with CIDR optimizes data routing by reducing unnecessary detours.

Virtual Private Clouds (VPC) became possible. VPC is an isolated network where you can run code, store data, and host websites. CIDR supports secure, isolated environments for data transfer.

Flexible creation of supernets. CIDR makes it possible to bring IP addresses into single network blocks.

Considerations When Buying a /24 IP Block

Traffic volume. If you are a small firm that does not have to deal with high volumes of external traffic, a /24 might be well-suited for you.

Price. /24s may cost upwards of $7,000 USD. However, please keep in mind that this price is not set in stone. It can significantly go up or down at any point in time. Your best bet is to contact a reputable IP address broker.

History. Check if your IP addresses have been previously blacklisted. An IP address with a spammy history may be blocked from accessing certain domains. Or it may be blocked by some email servers. This can cause problems. For example, your business emails may not reach your intended audience.