IPRangeExplorer

/26 vs /30 — Subnet Comparison

A /26 subnet is 16× larger than a /30. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the address space — the 4-bit difference between these two means /26 has 24 = 16 times as many addresses.

/26

62 usable hosts — quarter of a /24

Full reference →
Total IPs 64
Usable Hosts 62
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.192
Wildcard Mask 0.0.0.63

Typical Uses

  • →Cloud subnet per tier (web, app, db)
  • →Small department or team VLAN
  • →Security zone isolation
/30

2 usable hosts — point-to-point link

Full reference →
Total IPs 4
Usable Hosts 2
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.252
Wildcard Mask 0.0.0.3

Typical Uses

  • →WAN point-to-point link between routers
  • →BGP peering session
  • →Dedicated leased line addressing

Key Differences

16×
more IPs in /26 than /30
16
/30 subnets fit inside one /26
4
bits of difference in prefix length

How 16 /30 Subnets Divide a /26

Example using 10.0.0.0/26 as the parent block.

# CIDR Network First Usable Last Usable Broadcast Hosts
1 10.0.0.0/30 10.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 10.0.0.2 10.0.0.3 2
2 10.0.0.4/30 10.0.0.4 10.0.0.5 10.0.0.6 10.0.0.7 2
3 10.0.0.8/30 10.0.0.8 10.0.0.9 10.0.0.10 10.0.0.11 2
4 10.0.0.12/30 10.0.0.12 10.0.0.13 10.0.0.14 10.0.0.15 2
5 10.0.0.16/30 10.0.0.16 10.0.0.17 10.0.0.18 10.0.0.19 2
6 10.0.0.20/30 10.0.0.20 10.0.0.21 10.0.0.22 10.0.0.23 2
7 10.0.0.24/30 10.0.0.24 10.0.0.25 10.0.0.26 10.0.0.27 2
8 10.0.0.28/30 10.0.0.28 10.0.0.29 10.0.0.30 10.0.0.31 2
9 10.0.0.32/30 10.0.0.32 10.0.0.33 10.0.0.34 10.0.0.35 2
10 10.0.0.36/30 10.0.0.36 10.0.0.37 10.0.0.38 10.0.0.39 2
11 10.0.0.40/30 10.0.0.40 10.0.0.41 10.0.0.42 10.0.0.43 2
12 10.0.0.44/30 10.0.0.44 10.0.0.45 10.0.0.46 10.0.0.47 2
13 10.0.0.48/30 10.0.0.48 10.0.0.49 10.0.0.50 10.0.0.51 2
14 10.0.0.52/30 10.0.0.52 10.0.0.53 10.0.0.54 10.0.0.55 2
15 10.0.0.56/30 10.0.0.56 10.0.0.57 10.0.0.58 10.0.0.59 2
16 10.0.0.60/30 10.0.0.60 10.0.0.61 10.0.0.62 10.0.0.63 2

FAQ

What is the difference between /26 and /30?

A /26 has 62 usable hosts and a /30 has 2. The subnet masks differ: /26 uses 255.255.255.192 while /30 uses 255.255.255.252. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the number of addresses — so the 4-bit gap means /26 is exactly 16× larger.

How many /30 subnets fit in a /26?

Exactly 16 /30 subnets fit perfectly inside one /26 with no wasted space. To split a /26 into /30s, just increment the last 4 bits of the network address for each new subnet.

Which should I choose?

/26 is typically used for: Cloud per-tier subnet, small VLAN. /30 is better for: WAN point-to-point link. Choose the smallest prefix that comfortably fits your host count — over-allocating wastes address space, but under-allocating means painful renumbering later.

Related Comparisons

/24 vs /26 /25 vs /26 /26 vs /27 /29 vs /30 /30 vs /31