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Don't Forget to Configure the Default Gateway

Article Number: T004
Article Type: Tip
Modified: January 22, 1999

SUMMARY

If you have just installed a new router to connect your LAN to the Internet, or to your Corporate headquarters, make sure that you configure the Default Gateway setting of all workstations to use this newly installed router.

MORE INFORMATION

IP-based networks rely on understanding the routes available in the network in order to make decisions on where to send a specific packet to have it reach its intended destination. Each and every workstation, server and router that participates in an IP-based network must have entries in their routing tables to help them make these forwarding decisions.

In networks that only contain a single IP network segment, the routing table consists of only the local IP network address. This routing table entry is added automatically when an IP address is assigned to the device. However, when you expand your IP network and create more than one network, as in the case where you're connecting to the Internet, there must be at least one additional route placed into the routing table to inform each station of this network.

In this example, a single Default Route is sufficient to describe all other routes that exist within the connected Internet. On each workstation, you should enter the IP address of the router as the designated default router. This designation is more commonly referred to the default gateway. This entry creates a route that will be used in the event that there is no other more specific route available in the routing table. As such, all workstations will be able to now access services and resources that exist outside of the local network.

CONSIDERATIONS

In more complex networks, there will be multiple routing entries on each device in the network describing all the reachable routes in the network.

REFERENCES

Please consult the Orbitor Reference Manual for details regarding the use of these features. Also, the following article describes additional information on routing protocols LAN/WAN Routing Protocols in Orbitor Networks.§

Copyright © 1999 Develcon Electronics Ltd.  All Rights Reserved.