> isn't a class C the same as /24?
It has the same size, but it is not the same thing. A class C network
is a /24 with the bit prefix marking it as a class C network. A /24
that is part of a class B network, as often encountered at older internet
sites, is _not_ a class C network, it's a subnet of a class B network.
The difference is only relevant for classful routing, which is history
these days, and for good reasons. See
http://public.pacbell.net/dedicated/cidr.html
for details.
Michael