Like your Device IP Address, a Subnet Mask on Computer helps identify devices on a Local Network. To Connect To Network and use internet resources, you must Find Subnet Mask on Computer.
Getting Details of Subnet Mask is necessary all over the Operating Systems from Windows OS to Linux and MacOS. This article is intended to focus on methods to Identify Subnet Mask on Computer with any Operating System.
What is a Subnet Mask?
In your Home Network, all devices have different IP Addresses but share some similarities. If you consider an Example of a Home Network. All devices' addresses start with ‘192.168.1,’ but the last part of the Address (Octet) is different.
The part of the address is divided into Network ID ( Same Across All Devices) and Host ID (Unique To Each Device). This is where the Role Of The Subnet Comes in, Different networks can have different sizes for these networks and host portions.
Must Check: Subnet Mask Cheat Sheet - Beginner to Advanced!
Most home networks have a Subnet Mask of ‘255.255.255.0.’ The way it works is explained below with a sample example.
- The octets that are ‘255’ represent the network portion.
- The octets that are ‘0’ represent the host portion.
For example, if a network has an IP Address of 10.10.1.X and a subnet mask of ‘255.255.0.0,’ the first two octets (10.10) are the network portion, and the last two octets (1.X) are the host portion.
How to Find Subnet Mask in a Windows PC?
To Get Details of Subnet Mask on Windows PC, the following methods should be used. Let us check the simple & effective method where the Windows Command Prompt will be used.
Method 1: Find the Subnet Mask Using the Command Prompt
Step 1: Type CMD in the search and open the Command Prompt.
Step 2: Type the IP Configuration command mentioned below and press Enter
ipconfig /all
The ipconfig command displays the network configuration and other network-related information as shown in the figure.
Step 3: Scroll down to Look for the 'Subnet Mask' entry under the network adapter information
Method 2: Find the Subnet Mask Using the Control Panel
Step 1: Type Control in the search and open the Control Panel.
Step 2: Click on Network and Internet.
Step 3: Click on Network and Sharing Center.
Step 4: Click on the Network Connection you want to check (as shown below).
Step 5: Click the Details button
Your subnet mask will be listed under the Network Connection Details (as shown below).
Method 3: Find the Subnet Mask Using the IP Address.
In cases where you can't access the Windows Command Line or Control Panel, you can determine the Subnet Mask using the IP Address itself by identifying the network portion and host portion of the IP address.
How to Find Subnet Mask in the MacOS?
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon and Go to System Preferences > Network
Step 2: Select the Network Connection you want to check
Step 3: Click the Advanced button at the bottom.
Step 4: Go to the TCP/IP tab section, your subnet mask will be mentioned there
How to Find Subnet Mask in Linux OS?
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Linux Terminal
Step 2: Type ifconfig and press Enter to execute the Linux Command.
ifconfig Step 3: Now, Find the subnet mask. The subnet mask usually starts with 255 and is labeled as 'Mask.'
Conclusion
The Subnet Mask is important because it facilitates communication between devices within the same network. To Determine Subnet Mask of Computer, the above-mentioned steps should be used. Another way is to get and Install Third-Party Tool to Identify PC's Subnet Mask.