What is the smallest network mask that can support 25 connected devices in a new LAN?

To determine the smallest network mask that can support 25 connected devices, it is essential to calculate how many usable IP addresses each subnet mask provides.

The subnet mask 255.255.255.224 translates to a CIDR notation of /27. This means that the first 27 bits of the address are used for the network portion, leaving 5 bits for host addresses. The formula to calculate the number of usable host addresses is (2^n - 2), where n is the number of bits remaining for hosts. In this case, (2^5 - 2 = 32 - 2 = 30). This provides 30 usable addresses, which can easily accommodate 25 devices.

The other choices can be analyzed as follows:

• The subnet mask 255.255.255.0 (or /24) provides (2^8 - 2 = 254) usable addresses. While this supports the required number of devices, it is larger than necessary, as we are looking for the smallest mask.

• The subnet mask 255.255.255.128 (or /25) offers (2^7 - 2 = 126) usable addresses, which again exceeds the requirement but