Configuration > IP Configuration

IP Configuration

The IP Configuration window configures the Internet Protocol parameters, allowing the device to receive and send IP packets. In its factory default configuration, the switch operates as a multiport learning bridge with network connectivity provided by the ports on the switch. To enable IP-dependent features, you will need IP addressing.

In the factory-default configuration, the switch has one permanent default VLAN (named DEFAULT_VLAN) that includes all ports on the switch. Thus, when only the default VLAN exists in the switch, if you assign an IP address and subnet mask to the switch, you are actually assigning the IP addressing to the DEFAULT_VLAN.

Although recommended, a default gateway (IP) address for the switch is optional. The default VLAN is the primary VLAN for the switch. The switch uses the primary VLAN to learn the default gateway address. The switch can also learn other settings from a DHCP or BootP server, such as Time-To-Live (TTL) and TimeP SNMP settings. Other VLANs can also use DHCP or BootP to acquire IP addressing. However, the switch’s gateway, TTL, and TimeP or SNTP values, which are applied globally, and not per-VLAN, are acquired through the primary VLAN only, unless manually set. If these parameters are manually set, they will not be overwritten by alternate values received from a DHCP or BootP server.

If multiple VLANs are configured, then each VLAN can have its own IP address. This is because each VLAN operates as a separate broadcast domain and requires a unique IP address and subnet mask. For additional information on VLANs, refer to the Advanced Traffic Management Guide for your switch.

To configure IP parameters:

  1. In the Default Gateway field, type the IP address of a local router whose subnetwork you want to manage.

  2. In the VLAN field, select the VLAN to which you want to assign a new IP address or to edit the existing IP addressing.

  3. The VLAN field appears only if multiple VLANs are configured in the switch.

  1. In the IP Configuration field, select one of the following IP configurations:

DHCP/BootP

The switch (or selected VLAN, if configured) gets its IP configuration (or a more extensive configuration) from a DHCP or BootP server, which makes it possible to assign and configure IP addresses automatically when a client requests one.

For more information on this feature, see the Online Users Guide on the network management product CD-ROM (for example, HP ProCurve Manager) and the Advanced Traffic Management Guide for your switch.

  • Selecting DHCP/BootP assumes that a server on the network has already been configured to provide the necessary configuration to the switch. Implementing this option interrupts connectivity between the browser interface and the switch. DHCP and BootP cannot configure secondary IP addresses (for multinetting).

Manual

You will manually create the IP configuration. With this setting, you must type the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway for the switch (or selected VLAN, if configured).

  • This field can be used to add multinetted IP addresses.

Disabled

The switch (or selected VLAN, if configured) is configured as an unmanaged device (a transparent learning bridge). While disabled, the only method of management access is through a terminal device directly connected to the switch's Console RS-232 port. For more information, refer to the Management and Configuration Guide for your switch.

  1. If you selected Manual IP Configuration, enter the values for the following fields that appear:

IP Address

Type the IP address for the switch (or selected VLAN, if configured) in the x.x.x.x format, where x is a decimal number between 0 and 255.

You can assign one primary IP address and up to seven secondary IP addresses to a VLAN. This allows you to combine two or more subnets on the same VLAN, which enables devices in the combined subnets to communicate normally through the network without needing to reconfigure the IP addressing in any of the combined subnets.

For IP addressing with multiple VLANs, see the Management and Configuration Guide for your switch.

  • Changing the IP address ends the connection to the switch. You must enter the new address as the URL to reconnect.

Subnet Mask

Type the value that defines the local portion of your network (the portion that you don't have to go through a gateway to reach). This value must be the same value used for all other devices in your network.

Default Gateway

The default gateway is required when a router is needed for tasks such as reaching off-subnet destinations or forwarding traffic across multiple VLANs. The gateway value is the IP address of the next-hop gateway node for the switch, which is used if the requested destination address is not on a local subnet/VLAN.

If the switch does not have a manually-configured default gateway and DHCP/BootP is configured on the primary VLAN, then the default gateway value provided by the DHCP or BootP server will be used. If the switch has a manually configured default gateway, then the switch uses this gateway, even if a different gateway is received via DHCP or BootP on the primary VLAN.

  1. Click Apply Changes to activate the changes.