/13 vs /17 — Subnet Comparison

A /13 subnet is 16× larger than a /17. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the address space — the 4-bit difference between these two means /13 has 24 = 16 times as many addresses.

Total IPs 524,288
Usable Hosts 524,286
Subnet Mask 255.248.0.0
Wildcard Mask 0.7.255.255
/17

32K IPs — half a /16

Full reference →
Total IPs 32,768
Usable Hosts 32,766
Subnet Mask 255.255.128.0
Wildcard Mask 0.0.127.255

Typical Uses

  • Half of a /16 VPC split public/private
  • Large campus segment

Key Differences

16×
more IPs in /13 than /17
16
/17 subnets fit inside one /13
4
bits of difference in prefix length

How 16 /17 Subnets Divide a /13

Example using 10.0.0.0/13 as the parent block.

# CIDR Network First Usable Last Usable Broadcast Hosts
1 10.0.0.0/17 10.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 10.0.127.254 10.0.127.255 32,766
2 10.0.128.0/17 10.0.128.0 10.0.128.1 10.0.255.254 10.0.255.255 32,766
3 10.1.0.0/17 10.1.0.0 10.1.0.1 10.1.127.254 10.1.127.255 32,766
4 10.1.128.0/17 10.1.128.0 10.1.128.1 10.1.255.254 10.1.255.255 32,766
5 10.2.0.0/17 10.2.0.0 10.2.0.1 10.2.127.254 10.2.127.255 32,766
6 10.2.128.0/17 10.2.128.0 10.2.128.1 10.2.255.254 10.2.255.255 32,766
7 10.3.0.0/17 10.3.0.0 10.3.0.1 10.3.127.254 10.3.127.255 32,766
8 10.3.128.0/17 10.3.128.0 10.3.128.1 10.3.255.254 10.3.255.255 32,766
9 10.4.0.0/17 10.4.0.0 10.4.0.1 10.4.127.254 10.4.127.255 32,766
10 10.4.128.0/17 10.4.128.0 10.4.128.1 10.4.255.254 10.4.255.255 32,766
11 10.5.0.0/17 10.5.0.0 10.5.0.1 10.5.127.254 10.5.127.255 32,766
12 10.5.128.0/17 10.5.128.0 10.5.128.1 10.5.255.254 10.5.255.255 32,766
13 10.6.0.0/17 10.6.0.0 10.6.0.1 10.6.127.254 10.6.127.255 32,766
14 10.6.128.0/17 10.6.128.0 10.6.128.1 10.6.255.254 10.6.255.255 32,766
15 10.7.0.0/17 10.7.0.0 10.7.0.1 10.7.127.254 10.7.127.255 32,766
16 10.7.128.0/17 10.7.128.0 10.7.128.1 10.7.255.254 10.7.255.255 32,766

FAQ

What is the difference between /13 and /17?

A /13 has 524,286 usable hosts and a /17 has 32,766. The subnet masks differ: /13 uses 255.248.0.0 while /17 uses 255.255.128.0. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the number of addresses — so the 4-bit gap means /13 is exactly 16× larger.

How many /17 subnets fit in a /13?

Exactly 16 /17 subnets fit perfectly inside one /13 with no wasted space. To split a /13 into /17s, just increment the last 4 bits of the network address for each new subnet.

Which should I choose?

Choose based on how many hosts you need. Use the hosts → prefix calculator on the homepage to find the right size for your requirements.

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