Ever wondered what those /24 and /16 mean in networking? This guide will make CIDR simple, even if you're just getting started!

A Beginner’s Guide to CIDR Blocks: Understanding IP Address Ranges Easily

CIDR notation may look intimidating, but with the right breakdown and interactive examples, you’ll master it in no time!

If you’ve ever worked with networking, AWS security groups, or IP addresses, you’ve likely encountered CIDR blocks.

But what exactly are they, and why do they matter?

Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible, using real-world examples to make CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) easy to grasp .

What is CIDR?

CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) is a method used to allocate IP addresses efficiently. It defines IP address ranges using a combination of an IP address and a subnet mask.

For example, in an AWS security group, you might see:

192.168.1.0/24

This notation tells us the number of available IPs in that range. But how? Let’s dive in!

Breaking Down CIDR Notation