Supernetting

Supernetting is the process of combining multiple contiguous IP networks into a larger logical network represented by a common prefix. The method is also known as route aggregation or route summarisation and is conceptually the opposite of subnetting. The networks being combined must be representable by a common prefix. Aggregation allows several individual routes to be replaced by a single higher-level routing entry. This can reduce the size of routing tables and make routing information more efficient to manage and advertise. Supernetting is based on Classless Inter-Domain Routing, or CIDR, and is particularly relevant in larger enterprise networks and Internet Service Provider infrastructures. Careful IP address planning is required to ensure that the aggregated route correctly covers the intended networks.