What is the maximum number of hosts per Class C subnet?

In a Class C subnet, the default subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, which can also be represented as /24 in CIDR notation. This mask designates the first 24 bits of the IP address for the network portion and leaves the remaining 8 bits for the host portion.

To calculate the number of usable hosts in a Class C subnet, we use the formula 2^n - 2, where n is the number of bits available for host addresses. In this case, n is 8, since there are 8 bits available in a Class C subnet. Thus, the calculation becomes:

2^8 - 2 = 256 - 2 = 254

The subtraction of 2 accounts for the network address and the broadcast address, which cannot be assigned to hosts. Therefore, the maximum number of usable hosts in a Class C subnet is 254.