IP Address: 192.168.1.XXX vs. 169.254.180.XXX

[diarmaede]

A highly knowledgeable consultant suggested that I change the IP address on my PXI system from 169.254.180.XXX to 192.168.1.XXX. He said that this would change the IP address to a static address and result in faster loading.  However, when I go into NI MAX, it tells me that my 169... address is a static address.  Is there still a reason for me to switch to 192...?  If so, how do I determine what I should use for the full IP address?

Thanks!

[christineb]

Hi diarmaede,

That would depend on why your consultant suggested that you change your IP address to static to begin with. There are several online tutorial to confirm that show you how to tell if your IP address is static or dynamic. If your consultant suggested a static address so that you wouldn't have to go through a DNS server, but you're already using a static IP address, then I don't see a reason to need to switch. If your consultant suggested a static address for a different reason, such as a specific subnet etc, than it still could be useful to switch.

[DavidF_NI]

Hi Diarmade, 

192.168.X.X is for Class C internal use with a DHCP server. Your router at home or small companies will use this address space internally. You can configure the server to reserve an IP address for a particular device so that when it joins the network it is always assigned the same address. This is helpful because DHCP servers assign addresses dynamically by default. 169.254.X.X is for static use when a device can't find a DHCP server. 

Best,

David F.

Technical Support Engineer

National Instruments

www.ni.com/support