Chapter 36. IP Design

When a network or group of networks is designed well, the payoff can be substantial. The payoff, however, is in hours not spent, which can be very hard to quantify. Believe me, though—designing IP space the right way the first time can save literally thousands of work hours over the lifetime of the network.

IP address allocation is rarely done properly, and many unlucky network administrators end up inheriting a mess of IP networks that’s just been thrown together over time. In many cases, small networks are built with no vision of where the companies might end up, resulting in massive undertakings when the IP networks need to be changed. And even the best of IP address schemes can be rent asunder by a merger or acquisition.