ZyXEL Communications P-661H-61, Manual, Page: 142 / 404

Chapter 7 Home Networking
P-661HNU-Fx User’s Guide
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7.1.2 What You Need To Know
The following terms and concepts may help as you read this chapter.
7.1.2.1 About LAN
IP Address
Similar to the way houses on a street share a common street name, so too do
computers on a LAN share one common network number. This is known as an
Internet Protocol address.
Subnet Mask
The subnet mask specifies the network number portion of an IP address. Your
ZyXEL 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 ZyXEL Device unless you are instructed to do otherwise.
DHCP
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) allows clients to obtain TCP/IP
configuration at start-up from a server. This ZyXEL Device has a built-in DHCP
server capability that assigns IP addresses and DNS servers to systems that
support DHCP client capability.
DNS
DNS (Domain Name System) maps a domain name to its corresponding IP
address and vice versa. The DNS server is extremely important because without
it, you must know the IP address of a computer before you can access it. The DNS
server addresses you enter when you set up DHCP are passed to the client
machines along with the assigned IP address and subnet mask.
7.1.2.2 About UPnP
How do I know if I'm using UPnP?
UPnP hardware is identified as an icon in the Network Connections folder
(Windows XP). Each UPnP compatible device installed on your network will appear
as a separate icon. Selecting the icon of a UPnP device will allow you to access the
information and properties of that device.