/26 vs /28 — Subnet Comparison
A /26 subnet is 4× larger than a /28. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the address space — the 2-bit difference between these two means /26 has 22 = 4 times as many addresses.
62 usable hosts — quarter of a /24
Typical Uses
- →Cloud subnet per tier (web, app, db)
- →Small department or team VLAN
- →Security zone isolation
14 usable hosts — tiny segment
Typical Uses
- →AWS VPC endpoint subnet
- →NAT gateway dedicated subnet
- →Small server cluster
Key Differences
How 4 /28 Subnets Divide a /26
Example using 10.0.0.0/26 as the parent block.
| # | CIDR | Network | First Usable | Last Usable | Broadcast | Hosts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.0.0.0/28 | 10.0.0.0 | 10.0.0.1 | 10.0.0.14 | 10.0.0.15 | 14 |
| 2 | 10.0.0.16/28 | 10.0.0.16 | 10.0.0.17 | 10.0.0.30 | 10.0.0.31 | 14 |
| 3 | 10.0.0.32/28 | 10.0.0.32 | 10.0.0.33 | 10.0.0.46 | 10.0.0.47 | 14 |
| 4 | 10.0.0.48/28 | 10.0.0.48 | 10.0.0.49 | 10.0.0.62 | 10.0.0.63 | 14 |
FAQ
What is the difference between /26 and /28?
A /26 has 62 usable hosts
and a /28 has 14.
The subnet masks differ: /26 uses 255.255.255.192
while /28 uses 255.255.255.240.
Every additional bit in the prefix halves the number of addresses — so the 2-bit gap means
/26 is exactly 4× larger.
How many /28 subnets fit in a /26?
Exactly 4 /28 subnets fit perfectly inside one /26 with no wasted space. To split a /26 into /28s, just increment the last 2 bits of the network address for each new subnet.
Which should I choose?
/26 is typically used for: Cloud per-tier subnet, small VLAN. /28 is better for: AWS NAT/endpoint dedicated subnet. Choose the smallest prefix that comfortably fits your host count — over-allocating wastes address space, but under-allocating means painful renumbering later.