IPRangeExplorer

/14 vs /18 — Subnet Comparison

A /14 subnet is 16× larger than a /18. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the address space — the 4-bit difference between these two means /14 has 24 = 16 times as many addresses.

/14
Full reference →
Total IPs 262,144
Usable Hosts 262,142
Subnet Mask 255.252.0.0
Wildcard Mask 0.3.255.255
/18

16K IPs — quarter of a /16

Full reference →
Total IPs 16,384
Usable Hosts 16,382
Subnet Mask 255.255.192.0
Wildcard Mask 0.0.63.255

Typical Uses

  • →VPC tier segmentation
  • →Large-office building network

Key Differences

16×
more IPs in /14 than /18
16
/18 subnets fit inside one /14
4
bits of difference in prefix length

How 16 /18 Subnets Divide a /14

Example using 10.0.0.0/14 as the parent block.

# CIDR Network First Usable Last Usable Broadcast Hosts
1 10.0.0.0/18 10.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 10.0.63.254 10.0.63.255 16,382
2 10.0.64.0/18 10.0.64.0 10.0.64.1 10.0.127.254 10.0.127.255 16,382
3 10.0.128.0/18 10.0.128.0 10.0.128.1 10.0.191.254 10.0.191.255 16,382
4 10.0.192.0/18 10.0.192.0 10.0.192.1 10.0.255.254 10.0.255.255 16,382
5 10.1.0.0/18 10.1.0.0 10.1.0.1 10.1.63.254 10.1.63.255 16,382
6 10.1.64.0/18 10.1.64.0 10.1.64.1 10.1.127.254 10.1.127.255 16,382
7 10.1.128.0/18 10.1.128.0 10.1.128.1 10.1.191.254 10.1.191.255 16,382
8 10.1.192.0/18 10.1.192.0 10.1.192.1 10.1.255.254 10.1.255.255 16,382
9 10.2.0.0/18 10.2.0.0 10.2.0.1 10.2.63.254 10.2.63.255 16,382
10 10.2.64.0/18 10.2.64.0 10.2.64.1 10.2.127.254 10.2.127.255 16,382
11 10.2.128.0/18 10.2.128.0 10.2.128.1 10.2.191.254 10.2.191.255 16,382
12 10.2.192.0/18 10.2.192.0 10.2.192.1 10.2.255.254 10.2.255.255 16,382
13 10.3.0.0/18 10.3.0.0 10.3.0.1 10.3.63.254 10.3.63.255 16,382
14 10.3.64.0/18 10.3.64.0 10.3.64.1 10.3.127.254 10.3.127.255 16,382
15 10.3.128.0/18 10.3.128.0 10.3.128.1 10.3.191.254 10.3.191.255 16,382
16 10.3.192.0/18 10.3.192.0 10.3.192.1 10.3.255.254 10.3.255.255 16,382

FAQ

What is the difference between /14 and /18?

A /14 has 262,142 usable hosts and a /18 has 16,382. The subnet masks differ: /14 uses 255.252.0.0 while /18 uses 255.255.192.0. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the number of addresses — so the 4-bit gap means /14 is exactly 16× larger.

How many /18 subnets fit in a /14?

Exactly 16 /18 subnets fit perfectly inside one /14 with no wasted space. To split a /14 into /18s, 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.