Extron Electronics MTPX Plus 6400 Series User Guide - Manual (Page 158)

Subnetting — A Primer
It is not the purpose of this guide to describe TCP/IP protocol in detail. However, some
understanding of TCP/IP subnetting (a subnet is a subset of a network — a set of IP devices
that have portions of their IP addresses in common) is necessary in order to understand the
interaction of the MTPX Plus matrix switcher and the mail server gateway. To understand
subnetting at the level required to install and operate the MTPX Plus matrix switcher, you
must understand the concepts of a gateway, local and remote devices, IP addresses and
octets, and subnet masks and octets.
Gateways
The MTPX Plus matrix switcher can communicate with the email server that the switcher
uses for email notification directly (if they are on the same subnet) or the communication
can be routed via a gateway (a computer that provides a link between different subnets).
Local and Remote Devices
The local and remote devices are defined from the point of view of the function being
described. In this guide, subnetting is an issue when you are using the controlling PC to
set TCP/IP and email values in the matrix switcher (see
IP Settings/Options Window and
Email Settings Page ). When you are setting up the variables for email notification, which
may include subnetting, the matrix switcher is the local device and the email server is the
remote device.
IP Addresses and Octets
Valid IP addresses consist of four 1-, 2-, or 3-digit numeric subfields, properly called “octets,”
separated by dots (periods) (see figure 85). Each octet can be numbered from 000 through
255. Leading zeroes, up to three digits total per octet, are optional. Values of 256 and above
are invalid.
192.168.254.254 Typical IP Address:
Octets
Figure 85. Typical IP Address
Subnet Masks and Octets
The subnet mask (see figure 86) is used to determine whether the local and remote devices
are on the same subnet or different subnets. The subnet mask consists of four numeric
octets separated by dots. Each octet can be numbered from 000 through 255. Leading
zeroes, up to three digits total per octet, are optional. Each octet typically contains either
255 or 0. The octets determine whether or not the same octets of two IP addresses will be
compared when determining if two devices are on the same subnet.
255.255.0.0 Typical Subnet Mask:
Octets
255 indicates that this octet will be
compared between two IP addresses.
0 indicates that this octet will not be
compared between two IP addresses.
Figure 86. Typical Subnet Mask
MTPX Plus 6400 Series Matrix Switchers • Ethernet Connection 152