Answer:
To determine the appropriate subnet mask for a network that needs 126 hosts, you can use the formula \(2^n - 2\), where \(n\) is the number of host bits. The "-2" accounts for the network and broadcast addresses.
In this case, you need at least 7 host bits (\(2^7 - 2 = 126\)). The remaining bits will be used for the network portion.
A common subnet mask for this requirement is 255.255.255.128, as it has 7 host bits (32 - 7 = 25 bits for the network).
So, the subnet mask would be 255.255.255.128 for a network that needs 126 hosts.
Answer: 255.255.255.128 (11111111.11111111. 11111111.10000000 in binary)
Explanation:
