Many of us have heard of the word IP address, but don’t necessarily know what it means. An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a numerical identification and logical address assigned to devices that are used to connect to a network. The IP address 192.168.1.1 is a default IP address that is used by many network devices like the LinkSys home broadband routers. This default address can be changed by using the administrative settings.
RFC 1918 has defined 3 private address ranges: 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 and 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255. A distinctive quality of Private IP addresses is that they can be used on many different networks. This means in effect that any network router, or computer on a local network, can be set to use this address.
However, the drawback of this is that as with any IP addresses, only one component on a network can utilize this IP address, in order to avoid address conflicts. In this way, private IP addresses are said to be non-routable. In other words, you cannot use this IP address to connect to the internet, without the use of Network Address Translation (NAT). In other words, whilst you and I can both have a component on our different networks with the IP address 192.168.1.1, we will not be able to connect these two different networks because of the address conflict that will ensue.
Thus it is important to ensure whenever you connect a new component to an existing network that the default IP address of the new component (which will be in the RFC 1918 range of private IP addresses), isn’t also used by one of the other components on the network. Should an address conflict arise you will have to contact the systems administrator. In such a case the system admin will have to change one or more IP addresses to more appropriate addresses.
By browsing through the LinkSys user guide you will find some very useful information on the private IP address 192.168.1.1. If you play LAN games or use DSL cable connections then it can be very useful to have a default private IP address.
Utilizing a private IP address can be very advantageous when you need to troubleshoot your network. If a problem arises with your router or network, you will be able to troubleshoot it by using the main IP controls. You will be able to change settings such as usernames and passwords, DCP settings as well as LAN settings.
The private IP address 192.168.1.1 also functions as a gateway. For the laymen amongst us, a gateway can be described as a traffic controller or route directory for dataflow in a network. In other words, if your gateway is at its most efficient settings, you can increase your dataflow speed quite considerably.
This article has shown that by utilizing a private IP address you can quickly find problems on your network, increase dataflow and make administrative changes. It should however be emphasized that making changes to any of the IP settings can be disastrous if you are not an expert in this field. Thus, should there be any problems on your network, or with your route directory, it is encouraged that you call for the help of your system administrator or a networking expert.
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