Finding Client IP Addresses
When creating rules it is often important to know the IP address of each computer on the network. This tutorial demonstrates methods of obtaining the IP address information for each client, and building a list to be used to help configure the network's bandwidth usage.
IP addresses are values that identify computers on a network. Bandwidth Controller uses IP addresses extensively for its operation, including rule creation and configuration.
IP addresses are in the form of 'x.x.x.x' where each 'x' is a number ranging from 0 to 255. Examples of IP addresses on a network are '192.168.0.1', '10.0.0.1' and '188.8.131.52'.
Windows 2000, XP and 2003 Server make it possible to find the IP address of a computer with a single command called 'ipconfig'. To use this command, go to Start Menu, Run..., type cmd and click Ok.
After clicking Ok, a command window will appear. Type ipconfig and press [Enter] to display the computer's network information.
The ipconfig command will list the IP address for each network adapter that is installed on the computer. In some cases there will be more than one adapter, so it is important to choose the correct one. If the wrong adapter is chosen then the IP address will not work when used in future rules (the rule will have no effect).
In the diagram above, there are two sets for information displayed, one for each adapter in the system. The first line for each information set shows the name of the adapter, after the words 'Ethernet adapter'. Choose the adapter that is being used for the client's main network traffic. In this example the name of the adapter is 'inbuilt', which is the second adapter listed.
It is possible to verify that you have found the correct adapter by checking the list of adapters in network properties. To do this, right click My Computer and click Properties which will display all adapters installed on your system.
After verifying the adapter name you can record the IP address by writing down the digits that are found. For this example the computer's IP address is 192.168.1.2, which has been highlighted for clarity in the image below:
By following this procedure for each computer on the network, it is possible to build up a list of all client IP addresses which can then be used for creating rules.