ZyXEL Communications V500 Series User Manual page 198

Chapter 10 Network Setup
Note: Regardless of your particular situation, do not create an arbitrary IP address;
always follow the guidelines above. For more information on address
assignment, please refer to RFC 1597, Address Allocation for Private Internets
and RFC 1466, Guidelines for Management of IP Address Space.
IP Address and Subnet Mask
Similar to the way houses on a street share a common street name, computers on
a LAN share one common network number.
Where you obtain your network number depends on your particular situation. If
the ISP or your network administrator assigns you a block of registered IP
addresses, follow their instructions in selecting the IP addresses and the subnet
mask.
If the ISP did not explicitly give you an IP network number, then most likely you
have a single user account and the ISP will assign you a dynamic IP address when
the connection is established. The Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA)
reserved this block of addresses specifically for private use; please do not use any
other number unless you are told otherwise. Let's say you select 192.168.1.0 as
the network number; which covers 254 individual addresses, from 192.168.1.1 to
192.168.1.254 (zero and 255 are reserved). In other words, the first three
numbers specify the network number while the last number identifies an individual
computer on that network.
Once you have decided on the network number, pick an IP address that is easy to
remember, for instance, 192.168.1.2, for your device, but make sure that no
other device on your network is using that IP address.
The subnet mask specifies the network number portion of an IP address. Your
device will compute the subnet mask automatically based on the IP address that
you entered. You don't need to change the subnet mask computed by the device
unless you are instructed to do otherwise.
PPPoE Encapsulation
The V500 supports PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet). PPPoE is an IETF
standard (RFC 2516) specifying how a personal computer (PC) interacts with a
broadband modem (DSL, cable, wireless, etc.) connection.
For the service provider, PPPoE offers an access and authentication method that
works with existing access control systems (for example Radius).
One of the benefits of PPPoE is the ability to let you access one of multiple network
services, a function known as dynamic service selection. This enables the service
provider to easily create and offer new IP services for individuals.
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V500 Series User's Guide