How does subnetting improve network performance?

Subnetting improves network performance by minimizing broadcast traffic. In a network, broadcast traffic can significantly affect performance, as messages sent as broadcasts are received by all devices on the network segment. By dividing a larger network into smaller subnetworks, or subnets, the range of devices that receive these broadcast messages is limited. This means that only devices within the same subnet will respond to a broadcast, reducing overall traffic on the network and allowing more bandwidth to be available for unicast traffic - which is communication between two specific devices.

This reduction of broadcast domains leads to more efficient use of network resources and enhances the performance, especially in larger networks where broadcast traffic can become a bottleneck. Therefore, subnetting plays a critical role in optimizing network performance by controlling the scope of broadcast messages and improving the overall efficiency of the network.