Which subnet best supports 15 printers on a LAN?

A network technician is configuring a new subnet on the distribution switch to support 15 network printers. Which of the following available subnets is the best choice to support all 15 printers on the LAN?

  1. 10.1.15.0/27 Source Reference Answer
  2. 10.8.4.0/30
  3. 10.10.8.0/28
  4. 10.15.1.0/29

Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Community Insight

This question tests the difference between total IP addresses and usable host addresses — a /28 gives 16 total addresses but only 14 usable, which is one short of 15 printers.

For 15 network printers, you need a subnet with at least 15 usable host addresses. The /27 subnet provides 30 usable hosts, making it the only correct choice among /27, /30, /28, and /29.

Choosing C (/28) because 2^4 = 16 appears sufficient; however, this ignores that the network and broadcast addresses are not usable, leaving only 14 hosts.

Community Discussion (5 comments)

IT1992 👍 9
GUYS WEVE GOT 15 PRINTERS SO 10.1.15.0/27 IS THE CORRECT ANSWER COZ 2^5=32 32-2 FOR NETWORK ID AN BROADCAST ITS GONNA BE 30 HOST EVEN IF IT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH BUT THAT THE ANSWER /28 IT WILL GIVE YOU 16-2 = 14 WE NOW SHOT WITH 1 HOST SO A IS THE ANSWER FELLAS
Sgthud 👍 7 Selected: A
/27 gives you 32-2 = 30 hosts
subaie503 👍 4 Selected: A
A. 10.1.15.0/27
TheGuy1212 👍 2
To support 15 network printers, you need a subnet with enough host addresses. The number of available host addresses in each subnet is given by 2^(32 - subnet mask). Let's evaluate the options: A. 10.1.15.0/27 - 2^(32-27) = 2^5 = 32 host addresses (more than needed) B. 10.8.4.0/30 - 2^(32-30) = 2^2 = 4 host addresses (not enough) C. 10.10.8.0/28 - 2^(32-28) = 2^4 = 16 host addresses (sufficient) D. 10.15.1.0/29 - 2^(32-29) = 2^3 = 8 host addresses (not enough) Therefore, option C (10.10.8.0/28) is the best choice as it provides enough host addresses to support the 15 network printers while minimizing address wastage.
Bunaventi 👍 1 Selected: C
id say C)/28. /28 gives you 16 host addresses which is enough for 15 printers.

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Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option A, 10.1.15.0/27, uses a mask of 255.255.255.224. The host bits are 5, so the subnet gives 2^5 = 32 total addresses, of which 32 - 2 = 30 are usable for hosts. Since 30 ≥ 15, this easily supports all 15 printers and leaves room for growth.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option B (/30) provides only 2 usable hosts, and Option D (/29) provides only 6, both obviously insufficient. Option C (/28) provides 2^4 = 16 total addresses, but after subtracting the network address and broadcast address, only 14 are usable — exactly one fewer than required for 15 printers.

Community Comment Notes

The most-upvoted comments correctly explain the /27 calculation, noting that 2^5 = 32 and subtracting 2 gives 30 usable hosts. One comment incorrectly chose /28, saying it gives 16 host addresses, but this is the classic trap: a /28 subnet has 16 IP addresses total, not 16 usable host addresses. The vote distribution (92 for A) confirms the correct consensus.

Official Reference

Exam Strategy

On subnetting questions, always calculate usable addresses using 2^(32 - mask) - 2 and compare the result to the device count. Watch for options like /28 that appear close but fail because the network and broadcast addresses take away two usable addresses.

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