Chapter
9
Networking Overview
This chapter will try to give you a detailed instruction on how to network the DVR. Before we begin the process of networking your digital recorder we should have a working knowledge of what a network is and how it works. This will be a helpful in completing the networking process.
Introduction to TCP/IP
TCP/IP is the suite of protocols used by the Internet and most LANs (Local Area Networks) throughout the world. In TCP/IP, every host (computer or other communications device) that is connected to the network has a unique IP address. By doing this you are giving your device a unique address similar to the address of your house. An IP address is composed of four octets (numbers in the range of 0 to 255) separated by decimal points. The IP address is used to uniquely identify a host or computer on the LAN. For example, a computer with the hostname Workstation could have an IP address of 192.168.1.127.
You should avoid giving two or more computers the same IP address by using the range of IP addresses that are reserved for private, local area networks; this range of IP addresses usually begins with the octets 192.168. The first three octets of an IP address should be the same for all computers in the local area network. For example, if a total of 253 computers exist in a single LAN, the IP addresses could be assigned starting with 192.168.1.x, where x represents a number in the range of 2 to 254.
Subnet Masks
Each host in a LAN has a subnet mask. The subnet mask is an octet that uses the number 255 to represent the network address portion of the IP address and a zero to identify the host portion of the address. For example, the subnet mask 255.255.255.0 is used by each host to determine which LAN or class it belongs to. The zero at the end of the subnet mask represents a unique host within that network. Basically the subnet mask represents the city you live in for your home address, but in this case you are stating the network you belong too.
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