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Why I use the 192.0.0.0/24 subnet for my home network.
Before we delve deeper, it's worth clarifying the notation used in IP subnetting. The "/24" means that the first 24 bits of the 32 bit address denote the network, leaving the last 8 bits for specific host addresses within that network. This gives us a total of 254 usable addresses, from 1 to 254. Why? Zero is "the" network address, and is not used for devices "on purpose" and 255 is used for broadcasts on the subnet. If the subnet is "/23", it has 510 usable addresses including the middle 255 and 0.
Now, onto the specifics of why this subnet was chosen. The 192.0.0.0/24 IPv4 address block, as per RFC 6890, is assigned to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for special-purpose protocols. IANA manages a registry that maintains information about each assigned address block.
The primary motivation for using this particular subnet in my home network originates from its integration with a VPN for remote connections. The 192.0.0.0/24 block has no documented specific intended use to date. These addresses, designated for special-purpose protocols, could support innovative networking protocols or practices. Until such a use is defined, these addresses can be leveraged in unique network configurations, such as my own.
By using the 192.0.0.0/24 subnet, I can ensure my home network's IP address space does not conflict with the IP address spaces of other local networks. This is important when I connect to my VPN at home. If your current network and remote network have the same range, I cannot connect to servers at home. With common subnets like 10.0.0.0/8 and 192.168.0.0/16, and then there is 172.16.0.0/12. I'd love to use 10.0.0.0/24, but it's used so often. 10.0.0.1 can be shorted to 10.1; how cool is that?
I've run into IP conflicts between my home network and the visiting network too many times; this needs to be fixed.
I did some digging and tried to find more information. The intent was to use this block for "IETF protocol assignments". Whatever that may be. The actual documentation is sparse. Only PCP, ILNP and NAT64 may use a couple of addresses in this range. But I don't use these protocols, so I don't need to worry about conflicts. However, this choice is not without potential risks. Should IANA assign a specific use to this address block in the future, I would need to revise my home network configuration to prevent possible conflicts. But it's very unlikely they will reverse that design.
There are other reserved blocks and I've tried a couple of others. My anarchistic side would love to use 169.254.0.0/16 but many OSs barf on this when provided by a DHCP server.
In addition to the functional reasons, the choice of the subnet also has an aesthetic appeal. You might know that there is a shorthand notation for IPv6, but not many know there is a shorthand for IPv4 too. 192.0.0.1 and 192.1 are both the same address. The sequential structure of the subnet imparts a unique character to my network configuration and saves me a few milliseconds in typing.