IP address, MAC address, Subnet mask, Default gateway, Physical address .. why do 1 pc need so many addresses? Since IP already represent the specific pc, what are the others for?
2006-10-07 07:24:31 · 5 answers · asked by Jordaan 5 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
MAC address and physical address are the same thing for an ethernet card. It is the address actually contained in the hardware that connects to the cable.
IP address is an address which is specific to the internet protocol and is a shorthand for the physical address used for routing between networks.
The subnet mask is not really an address - it is an indicator of at what level the IP addresses are local to the network vs. on another network. For example, if the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, any IP address have the same first 3 octets, i.e. 145.10.5.6 and 145.10.5.7 are on the same subnet and do not need to be routed to another network. Compare with, say 145.10.5.6 and 145.10.4.7, which are on different subnets according to the 255.255.255.0 subnet mask. It lets the router or switch know whether to send the packet back out to the local network or send it up to the wan connection.
The default gateway is the IP address of usually a router or switch that is able to route packets out to other networks. It is often, but not always, an X.X.X.1 i.e. 145.10.5.1 address.
HTH
2006-10-07 07:35:30 · answer #1 · answered by spongeworthy_us 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique number that devices use in order to identify and communicate with each other on a computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol standard (IP). Any participating network device — including routers, computers, time-servers, printers, Internet fax machines, and some telephones — must have its own unique address. An IP address can also be thought of as the equivalent of a street address or a phone number (compare: VoIP) for a computer or other network device on the internet. Just as each street address and phone number uniquely identifies a building or telephone, an IP address can uniquely identify a specific computer or other network device on a network.
In computer networking a Media Access Control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier attached to most forms of networking equipment.
A network mask, also known as a subnet mask, netmask or address mask, is a bitmask used to tell how many bits in an octet(s) identify the subnetwork, and how many bits provide room for host addresses.
A default gateway is a node (a router) on a computer network that serves as an access point to another network. In homes, the gateway is the ISP that connects the user to the Internet.
Hope this helps.
2006-10-07 07:28:55 · answer #2 · answered by Tim G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Data gets sent to many different places within one network or even one computer, and the processor or controller has to know where to send the data. There are memory addresses also. A program sorts data into seperate memory addresses. Addresses are very important just for organizing the data.
2006-10-07 07:29:12 · answer #3 · answered by martin h 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
By saying "I like Israel" the moment he thought it would help his political career. Most Jewish Americans do not like Obama and I know many Israeli's who don't either. Welcoming him to Israel is not the same as embracing him with open arms.
2016-03-28 00:58:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why does mail sent to you need a street number, street name, city name, state name, and zip code? Think about it.
2006-10-07 07:32:14 · answer #5 · answered by Sordenhiemer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋