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General discussion

what is a "subnet mask address"?

Dec 8, 2005 8:14AM PST

This print server is driving me crazy! I seriously want to pick it up and throw it out the window. After hours of trying to install it, i finally got to the last step: Input Print Server IP address and Subnet Mask Address and i have NO IDEA what to do.

Im running on Windows XP Media Center. I have a Dell Inspiron 9300 Laptop. My print server is a Netgear WGPS606, and my router is a Netgear WGT634U. The router connects my desktop and laptop to the internet. My desktop is not wireless, it is connected to the WGT634U Router.
---> How do i get the IP address? Do i use 192.168.1.1? And how do i know what my "subnet mask address" is?

somebody please help!!
---->veronica

Discussion is locked

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Depends on network adressing method
Dec 8, 2005 10:29AM PST

Print servers can be tricky if you are using DHCP (dynamic addressing) on your network. This means a DHCP server (in your case, a router) can give IP addesses to requesting devices. "Dynamic" also means the address can change with each restart of devices on the network. Your print server, however, needs a static address. This address does not change and is how your PC knows how to find your printer. You can set up your whole network by giving all devices on it static addresses including your router. This is done by turning off DHCP in the router and just manually providing addresses for all devices on the network. But, if you use DHCP, you need to give your print server an address that is within the same network range scheme but not one the router is going to try to give out. Lets say your router gives out addresses in the 192.168.0.XXX with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. The subnet mask will be the same for all devices but the XXX represents the posible number of addresses on the network from "1" to "255". You can give your print server something like 192.168.0.200 / subnet 255.255.255.0 and then limit the router by having it give addresses only with lower numbers so there will be no conflicts as each device needs a unique address. Once your print server address is established, you will need to "create" a TCP/IP port on your PC. This is easy with XP. You will do this through the printer properties under "ports". There will be an option to create the new port and you enter the IP address/subnet information there. Once successfully completed, your PC will know where to send print data. This is a bit wordy but hope it helps. Good luck.

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Print Server IP Address
Jan 25, 2006 3:35AM PST

If you have a few devices, make sure you set the address above say 192.168.1.110. Since the DHCP server by default starts usually at address 100, a better idea for the printers is to be set below this address. A better practice would be 192.168.1.20. The DHCP server is handing out addresses from 100 to 254. If you pick an address in the DHCP range, and the printer is turned off, there is always the possibility that the static (non-changing address) of the printer might be handed out to another device, and then you would have an IP address conflict. You just need to use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet since I seriously doubt you will have more than 254 devices. It is designed to allow network professionals to segment network traffic, or in situations where you have an IP address range assigned to you by your ISP. It was more previlant before the days of Network Address Translation (NAT) which your router is doing for you. You have a WAN address assigned to you by your ISP. You can check this on your status page in the router. If you had to share that one address assigned to you over multiple devices, you could use the subnet mask to allow for the multiple devices. The NAT part of the router controls your local traffic with a local address 192.168.1.(2 to 254). The DHCP server, when it is enabled, is probably set to start out at 100 and depending on the number of devices you allocate it (50 is usually the default) will hand out addresses starting at 100, and go up to (in this example) 150. If you are wondering what happened to 192.168.1.1, it is the base address of the router, and is also used as the gateway address. (So never use that address) I know this sounds really complicated, and it can be, but this is not that bad.