Experienced server users - help
 

I ordered 8 IP's from my server provider and I just got an e-mail from them:

"Your ips have been routed. Use a netmask of 255.255.255.0 to use all 8"

I have no idea of what this means? :)
Can someone who knows this explain a little better?

Sure

255.255.255.0 gives you access to 256 IPs, it seems like your ISP puts everyone on the same block without seperating them so you actually have 256 IPs instead of just 8. The router would accept packets from any IP that starts the same and ends from 0 -> 255.

8 IPs should be a netmask of 255.255.255.248, but your ISP doesn't know how to subnet properly so they gave you the easiest partition, a full Class C or 256 addresses from 0 -> 255.

Paste this to them and tell them that there is nothing preventing you from taking any of the other 248 IP addresses in that C class.