IPRangeExplorer

/6 vs /10 — Subnet Comparison

A /6 subnet is 16× larger than a /10. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the address space — the 4-bit difference between these two means /6 has 24 = 16 times as many addresses.

/6
Full reference →
Total IPs 67,108,864
Usable Hosts 67,108,862
Subnet Mask 252.0.0.0
Wildcard Mask 3.255.255.255
/10

4 million IPs — quarter of a /8

Full reference →
Total IPs 4,194,304
Usable Hosts 4,194,302
Subnet Mask 255.192.0.0
Wildcard Mask 0.63.255.255

Typical Uses

  • →Major regional segment in enterprise
  • →Large cloud region allocation

Key Differences

16×
more IPs in /6 than /10
16
/10 subnets fit inside one /6
4
bits of difference in prefix length

How 16 /10 Subnets Divide a /6

Example using 10.0.0.0/6 as the parent block.

# CIDR Network First Usable Last Usable Broadcast Hosts
1 8.0.0.0/10 8.0.0.0 8.0.0.1 8.63.255.254 8.63.255.255 4,194,302
2 8.64.0.0/10 8.64.0.0 8.64.0.1 8.127.255.254 8.127.255.255 4,194,302
3 8.128.0.0/10 8.128.0.0 8.128.0.1 8.191.255.254 8.191.255.255 4,194,302
4 8.192.0.0/10 8.192.0.0 8.192.0.1 8.255.255.254 8.255.255.255 4,194,302
5 9.0.0.0/10 9.0.0.0 9.0.0.1 9.63.255.254 9.63.255.255 4,194,302
6 9.64.0.0/10 9.64.0.0 9.64.0.1 9.127.255.254 9.127.255.255 4,194,302
7 9.128.0.0/10 9.128.0.0 9.128.0.1 9.191.255.254 9.191.255.255 4,194,302
8 9.192.0.0/10 9.192.0.0 9.192.0.1 9.255.255.254 9.255.255.255 4,194,302
9 10.0.0.0/10 10.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 10.63.255.254 10.63.255.255 4,194,302
10 10.64.0.0/10 10.64.0.0 10.64.0.1 10.127.255.254 10.127.255.255 4,194,302
11 10.128.0.0/10 10.128.0.0 10.128.0.1 10.191.255.254 10.191.255.255 4,194,302
12 10.192.0.0/10 10.192.0.0 10.192.0.1 10.255.255.254 10.255.255.255 4,194,302
13 11.0.0.0/10 11.0.0.0 11.0.0.1 11.63.255.254 11.63.255.255 4,194,302
14 11.64.0.0/10 11.64.0.0 11.64.0.1 11.127.255.254 11.127.255.255 4,194,302
15 11.128.0.0/10 11.128.0.0 11.128.0.1 11.191.255.254 11.191.255.255 4,194,302
16 11.192.0.0/10 11.192.0.0 11.192.0.1 11.255.255.254 11.255.255.255 4,194,302

FAQ

What is the difference between /6 and /10?

A /6 has 67,108,862 usable hosts and a /10 has 4,194,302. The subnet masks differ: /6 uses 252.0.0.0 while /10 uses 255.192.0.0. Every additional bit in the prefix halves the number of addresses — so the 4-bit gap means /6 is exactly 16× larger.

How many /10 subnets fit in a /6?

Exactly 16 /10 subnets fit perfectly inside one /6 with no wasted space. To split a /6 into /10s, 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.