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WRVS4400N User Guide 7
The Use of IP Addresses
Networking and Security Basics
Example network
The Use of IP Addresses
IP stands for Internet Protocol. Every device in an IP-based network, including PCs, print servers,
and routers, requires an IP address to identify its location, or address, on the network. This
applies to both the Internet and LAN connections.
There are two ways of assigning IP addresses to your network devices.
A static IP address is a fixed IP address that you assign manually to a PC or other device on the
network. Since a static IP address remains valid until you disable it, static IP addressing ensures
that the device assigned it will always have that same IP address until you change it. Static IP
addresses are commonly used with dedicated network devices such as server PCs or print
servers. Since a user’s PC is moving around in a network and is being powered on or off, it does
not require a dedicated IP address that could be a precious resource in your network.
NOTE: Since the Router is a device that connects two
networks, it needs two IP addresses—one for the LAN,
and one for the Internet. In this User Guide, you’ll see
references to the “Internet IP address” and the “LAN IP
address.”
NOTE: Since the Router uses NAT technology, the only IP
address that can be seen from the Internet for your
network is the Router’s Internet IP address. However, even
this Internet IP address can be hidden on the Internet by
suppressing PING response.