A technician needs to configure a virtual NIC on a Class A IP address network. What is the default subnet mask for this network?

In a Class A IP address network, the default subnet mask is /8. This means that the first 8 bits of the IP address are used for the network part, and the remaining 24 bits are available for host addresses within that network. Class A networks are designed to accommodate a large number of hosts, so the /8 subnet mask allows for expansive address space, effective for large organizations or networks requiring many individual addresses.

The significance of the /8 subnet mask is that it supports approximately 16 million possible hosts, which illustrates the flexibility needed for extensive network environments. In Class A, the range of the first octet is from 0 to 127, with the default mask being essential for defining the structure of the network.

The other options represent different subnetting standards that apply to Class B and Class C networks, which would use /16 and /24 respectively; they are not relevant when configuring a virtual NIC on a Class A network. The /28 option indicates a much smaller subnet, suitable for fewer hosts, and does not align with the default configuration for Class A addresses.