Summarization or Supernetting

Supernetting differs from Subnetting in that in that supernetting borrows bits

from the network ID and masks them as the host ID.

Calculating IP Summaries

IP summarization, the idea is to shorten the prefix length (the number of bits
set in the subnet mask) so a single advertisement represents, more address
space. In the network below, we begin with 16 different destinations, each
with a 24-bit mask.

Since all of these networks are reachable through a single point, why not
describe them with a single prefix (or advertisement), rather than 16? That is
exactly what summarization does—rather than advertise a large number of
destinations, they are summarized into a single prefix at intermediate system
A, which then advertises it towards B and C. In this case, 10.1.0.0/21 would
include all of the destinations from 10.1.0.0 through 10.1.15.255.

Calculating IP Summaries

The most straightforward way of finding the single prefix is to figure out the
lowest and highest addresses represented by the range of addresses we
would like to replace, and then try to find one prefix that will represent all of
those addresses by itself. In this example, we begin with the address 10.1.0.0,
since that is the lowest address in the range, and end with the highest
address of 10.1.15.255. Is there any prefix we can use to represent this entire
address range? If we were to lay all of these addresses out in binary, we
would find that the top 20 bits of every address remain the same throughout
the entire address range.

So, we can use a single prefix with 20 bits set in its subnet mask to represent
all of the addresses covered by the 16 individual prefixes, each with 24 bits
set in their subnet masks. This 20-bit prefix is called a summary.

10.1.0.0/20
Therefore subnet mask 11111111.11111111.11110000.00000000
255.255.240.0

Example
Given the networks 100.16.0.0 /16, 100.17.0.0 /16, 100.18.0.0 /16, and 100.19.0.0 /16, could
you quickly come up with both the summary address and mask? All you need to do is break
the four network numbers down into binary. We know the last two octets will all convert to the
binary string 00000000, so we’ll only convert the first and second octet from decimal to binary.
To come up with the summary route, just work from left to right and draw a line where the four
networks no longer have a bit in common. For these four networks, that point comes between
the 14th and 15th bits. This leaves us with this string: 01100100. 000100xx. All you need to
do is convert that string back to decimal, (The two x values are bits on the right side of the
line, which aren’t used in calculating the summary route.) which gives us 100 for the first octet
and 16 for the second. (Binary 00010000 = 16 decimal)
Since we know that zero is the value for the last two octets, the resulting summary network
number is 100.16.0.0.
Now we need the summary mask, write out a mask in binary with a "1" for every bit to the left
of the line we drew previously, and a "0" for every bit to the right. That gives us the following
string:
100 16 0 0
11111111 11111100 00000000 00000000
255 252 0 0
Converting that to dotted decimal, we arrive at the summary mask 255.252.0.0.
The correct summary network and mask to advertise is 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0
100.16.0.0/14

Summarising RIP and EIGRP

Use ip summary-address on e0 in both RIPv2 and EIGRP.

R1(config-if)#ip summary-address rip 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0

R1(config-if)#ip summary-address eigrp 100 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0

The main difference between the two is that the EIGRP command must specify the AS
number - thats the "100" in the middle of the EIGRP command.

For OSPF
If you're configuring inter-area route summarization, use the "area range" command. The
number following "area" is the area containing the routes being summarized, not the area
receiving the summary.

R1(config)#router ospf 1
R1(config-router)#area 1 range 100.16.0.0 255.252.0.0

Configuring EIGRP and OSPF Summary Routes

Here we have a contiguous network

Last octet

192.168.10.64 = 01000000
192.168.10.68 = 01000100
192.168.10.72 = 01001000
192.168.10.76 = 01001100
192.168.10.80 = 01010000
192.168.10.88 = 01011000

010xxxxx = 01000000 = 64, Network number = 192.168.10.64

11100000 = 224, Subnet mask = 255.255.255.224

summary route = 192.168.10.64 255.255.255.224

On the core (backbone) router for EIGRP we’ll place the summary route on E0, which will
advertise our summary route out to the backbone network (10.10.10.0).
This will stop all six of our networks from being advertised individually and instead advertise
them as one route to the other routers in the network.

The above EIGRP config for autonomous system 10 advertises directly connected networks
192.168.10.0 and 10.0.0.0
Since EIGRP auto-summarises at classful boundaries, you must use the no auto-summary
command.
The summary route we will advertise to the backbone network is placed on the interface
connected to the backbone not under the routing process.

To summarise the contiguous network with OSPF we need to configure multiple areas.

To summarise area1 into the area 0 backbone under the OSPF Process ID on the core
router.

The no auto-summary command is not needed since OSPF does not summarise at any
boundary by default.
Here all the networks from area 1 are summarised as 192.168.10.64/27
224 = 11100000
255.255.255.224 = 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000
Question
In the network shown below, what is the most efficient summarization that R1 can use to
advertise its networks to R2?

A. 172.1.0.0/22

B. 172.1.0.0/21

C. 172.1.4.0/22

D. 172.1.4.0/25
 172.1.4.128/25
172.1.5.0/24
172.1.6.0/24
172.1.7.0/24

E. 172.1.4.0/21

Answer C

172.1.4.0/22

Explanation: In large internetworks, hundreds, or even thousands, of network addresses can

exist. It is often problematic for routers to maintain this volume of routes in their routing tables.
Route summarization (also called route aggregation or supernetting) can reduce the number
of routes that a router must maintain, because it is a method of representing a series of
network numbers in a single summary address.

172.1.4.0 172.1 : 00000100.0

172.1.4.128 : 00000100.128
172.1.5.0 : 00000101.0
172.1.6.0 : 00000110.0
172.1.7.0 : 00000111.0

172.1 is the same for all networks 3rd octet changes therefore reduce to binary to find the
remaining common bits, which is the first 6 bits in the 3rd octet so /16 + /6 = /22
Remaing bits will be zero 00000100 = 4
= 172.1.4.0

Question
The Lakeside Company administrator would like to reduce the size of the routing table on the
Central router. Which partial routing table entry in the Central router represents a route
summary that represents the LANs in Phoenix but no additional subnets?

A. 10.0.0.0/28 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.2.0.0 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1

B. 10.0.0.0/30 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.4.4.4 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1
C. 10.0.0.0/30 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.2.2.0 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1
D. 10.0.0.0/28 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.4.4.0 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1
E. 10.0.0.0/22 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.4.0.0 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1
F. 10.0.0.0/22 is subnetted, 1 subnets D 10.0.0.0 [90/20514560] via 10.2.0.2, 6w0d, Serial0/1

Answer E

Explanation: The 10.4.0.0, 10.4.1.0, 10.4.2.0, and 10.4.3.0 can be correctly summarized by
the single 10.4.0.0/22 network route as shown by option E.
Question
You have a router that is capable of route summarization. What is the best summary route for
the following networks.

192.16.12.0/24
192.16.13.0/24
192.16.14.0/24
192.16.15.0/24

A. 192.16.12.0/22

B. 192.16.15.0/22

C. 192.16.12.0/23

D. 192.16.15.0/23

Answer A

12 = 00001100
13 = 00001101
14 = 00001110
15 = 00001111
Summarizes to 00001100 = 12

summary route 192.16.12.0

Subnet mask 11111111.11111111.11111100.0 = 22

192.16.12.0/22

Question

What is the most efficient summarization of the routes attached to router RT-5?

A. 192.168.0.0/16
B. 192.168.52.0/24
C. 192.168.48.0/22
D. 192.168.52.0/22
E. 192.168.51.0/23
F. 192.168.48.0/21

Answer D

52 = 00110100
53 = 00110101
54 = 00110110
55 = 00110111

1st 6 bits are the same 001101

192.168.00110100.0
192.168.52.0 summary route
11111111.11111111.11111100.0 subnet mask = /22
192.168.52.0/22

Question

Refer to the exhibit. All networks that are shown have a /24 prefix. Assuming that all routes
have been discovered by all routers in the network, which address will successfully
summarize only the networks that are shown?

A. 192.168.8.0/21
B. 192.168.8.0/24
C. 192.168.16.0/20
D. 192.168.16.0/21
E. 192.168.16.0/24

Answer D

192.168.16.0/21