Controller operating manual
15.11.2020 – Version 1.1
TCS.2 series –
thermofin
®
control system 2
nd
generation
Page: 110/162
Operating manual - translation into English © thermofin GmbH
Network mask / subnet mask
The subnet mask (also called network mask) separates an IP address into a network and a device
address in a network. The device addresses are also known as host addresses. The advantage of
subnet masks is that the user can divide the available address space into different subnets.
There can be several reasons for this:
There is only a certain address space available which is not fully used. The division creates
two or more self-sufficient networks.
Individual departments of a company can be logically separated from one another, e.g., for
security reasons.
Routing decisions can be made faster.
Factory setting:
255.255.255.0
Standard gateway
When a TCP/IP computer needs to communicate with a host on another network, it usually
communicates through a device called a router. In TCP/IP terminology, a router that is specified on a
host and links the host's subnet to other networks is called a
standard gateway
.
When a host tries to communicate with another device using TCP/IP, it compares the defined subnet
mask and the destination IP address against the subnet mask and its own IP address. The result of
this comparison tells the computer whether the target is a local host or a remote host.
If the result of this process determines that the destination is a local host, the computer simply sends
the packet on the local subnet. If the result of the comparison determines that the destination is a
remote host, the computer forwards the packet to the
standard gateway
defined in the TCP/IP
properties. It is then up to the router to forward the packet to the correct subnet.
Factory setting:
0.0.0.0
