How Should an Engineer Connect Networks with Overlapping IP Ranges?

A global company has acquired a local company. The companies are geographically separate. The IP address ranges for the two companies are as follows: • Global company: 10.0.0.0/16 • Local company: 10.0.0.0/24 Which of the following can the network engineer do to quickly connect the two companies?

Assign static routing to advertise the local company's network
Assign an overlapping IP address range to both companies.
Assign a new IP address range to the local company. Source Reference Answer
Assign a NAT range to the local company.

Community Votes

73%

27%

73% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Community Insight

The exam tests overlapping IP addressing solutions, and the common trap is choosing the long-term fix of re-IPing one company instead of the quick NAT translation the scenario is asking for.

When two merged networks use overlapping private IP ranges, configuring NAT to translate the overlapping range is the quickest way to connect them. The community discussion highlights that renumbering is more thorough but not as fast as the NAT solution.

C — selecting 'Assign a new IP address range to the local company' because it clears the overlap, but it requires re-addressing every device and is not a quick connection method as required.

Community Discussion (3 comments)

subaie503 👍 7 Selected: C

C. Assign a new IP address range to the local company. Given that both companies are currently using overlapping IP address ranges, the most straightforward and effective solution to quickly connect the two companies without causing IP address conflicts would be to reassign a new, non-overlapping IP address range to the local company. This change would ensure that both companies can communicate without any IP address conflicts or the need for complex routing rules to manage the overlap.

huradazimi 👍 2 Selected: D

The correct answer is D. Assign a NAT range to the local company. Network Address Translation (NAT) can be used to map the local company's IP address range to a different range, allowing the two companies to communicate without overlapping IP addresses. This is a quick and effective solution to connect the two companies without needing to reassign IP addresses immediately.

ComeHonnorFace 👍 2 Selected: D

Since the two companies are using overlapping IP address ranges, Network Address Translation (NAT) can be used to quickly resolve the conflict by assigning a unique NAT range to the local company. This allows both networks to communicate without requiring an immediate IP address reconfiguration for the local company. NAT translates the local company’s IP addresses to a unique range that the global company’s network can recognize, enabling connectivity despite the overlapping address space.

Comments & Corrections

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Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

D is correct because Network Address Translation (NAT) lets the local company keep its internal 10.0.0.0/24 addresses while translating them to a non-conflicting range when communicating with the global company. This creates connectivity quickly without a labor-intensive re-IP project. Commenters supporting D note that NAT resolves the overlap without requiring immediate IP reconfiguration.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Static routing alone cannot resolve overlapping destination prefixes because routers would have identical or ambiguous routes. Assigning an overlapping address range is the opposite of a solution. C is a valid permanent fix but not the fastest option because it forces every local host and device to be renumbered; the scenario emphasizes 'quickly.' The highest-voted C commenter describes a straightforward fix but misses the speed clue in the question.

Community Comment Notes

The most-liked comment selects C, but its reasoning focuses only on eliminating IP conflicts, not on rapid deployment. Two additional comments correctly point out that NAT is the quicker approach because it avoids renumbering and can be configured at the edge router. These comments align with real-world M&A network integrations and with the wording of the exam question.

Official Reference

Exam Strategy

Watch for qualifiers like 'quickly'—they are important clues. In overlapping address scenarios, NAT is the quick fix, while renumbering is the slower but cleaner long-term solution. Choose the option that satisfies the timeframe mentioned in the question.

Related Analysis

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