The IP address, subnet mask and gateway or router comprise an underlying structure-the Internet Protocol-that most networks use to facilitate inter-device communication. Neither can be assigned to hosts, as they are reserved for these special purposes. The “255” address is always assigned to a broadcast address, and the “0” address is always assigned to a network address. In this way, the subnet mask separates the IP address into the network and host addresses. This means that when a local device wants to send information to a device at an IP address on another network, it first sends its packets to the gateway, which then forwards the data on to its destination outside of the local network.Ī subnet mask is a 32-bit number created by setting host bits to all 0s and setting network bits to all 1s. The device called a gateway or default gateway connects local devices to other networks. The subnet mask splits the IP address into the host and network addresses, thereby defining which part of the IP address belongs to the device and which part belongs to the network. IP addresses are either configured by a DHCP server or manually configured (static IP addresses). << Back to Technical Glossary Subnet Mask DefinitionĮvery device has an IP address with two pieces: the client or host address and the server or network address.
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