Extron Electronics ES3610_11 User Guide - Manual (Page 52)

Appendix A: Guide to IP Addressing ES3610/11 User Guide
Page 52 I447GB issue 6
Choosing IP Addresses
If your RGB ADAPTER(s) and control PC are directly connected, or connected via their own
independent network, then follow the guidelines below for choosing your IP Address(es).
However, if you intend connecting your RGB ADAPTER (s) and control PC to an existing network, you
will need to advise the network administrator and ask them to allocate suitable addresses to you.
On an independent network you can (in theory) use just about any addresses you wish. However, it is
generally recommended that you use the Class C format (i.e. from 192.0.0.1 up to 223.255.255.253).
Remember that there are two rules for choosing IP Addresses:
• the network identifier must be the same for each address, and
• the host identifier must be unique for each address.
Applying these rules to Class C addresses, it can be seen that the first three decimal values of your IP
Addresses must all be the same, while the last value is used to uniquely identify each device.
The following is an example of a valid Class C addressing scheme:
Device IP Address
Device 1 208.132.180.41
Device 2 208.132.180.42
Device 3 208.132.180.43
NOTE: The host identifiers (e.g. 41, 42, and 43 in the above example) need not be sequential or in
any particular order. However, it is recommended that you group the numbers for simplicity.
The following is an example of an
invalid Class C addressing scheme:
Device IP Address
Device 1 208.132.180.41
Device 2 192.157.180.42
Device 3 209.100.123.43
NOTE: These are invalid because the network identifier for each address is not the same, even
though each IP Address is unique.
You can use the Ping command from your computer to check that a device at a particular address is
responding correctly (see page 54).
Subnet Mask
The Subnet Mask is another 32-bit binary number that is used to ‘mask’ certain bits of the IP Address.
This provides a method of extending the number of network options for a given IP Address. It works
by allowing part of the host identifier to be used as a ‘subnet identifier’. Any further explanation of this
facility is not relevant here.
However, it is important that you set the correct value for the Subnet Mask. The basic values depend
on the class of IP Address being used:
Class Name Subnet Mask
Class A 255.0.0.0
Class B 255.255.0.0
Class C 255.255.255.0