This article discusses how to set up TCP/IP on a standalone network.

First, make sure that Open Transport 1.1.2 and AppleShare Client 3.7 software are installed on each client in your network.

If you are planning to connect your network to the Internet, you must obtain your domain name and network address from an official internet registry. If you are not planning to connect your network to the Internet, you can still set up TCP/IP on your network without obtaining an official address. Note that if you plan on connecting to the Internet in the future, you would then need to change the configuration of your entire network, so you may want to go ahead and get an address assigned.

If you have determined that none of your computers will have external IP connectivity then you can assign IP address from the following blocks without consulting with any Internet registry:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (a Class A Network - 24 bits of address space)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (16 contiguous Class B Networks - 20 bits of address space)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (255 contiguous Class C Networks - 16 bits of address space).

[source: RFC 1597, "Address Allocation for Private Internets"]

An address with all host bits set to 0 refers to the network itself. An address with all host bits set to 255 is a broadcast address and goes to all hosts on the network.

Example - 192.168.0.0 refers to the Class C network 192.168.0. The address 192.168.0.255 is the broadcast address for the Class C network 192.168.0. Addresses 192.168.0.1 through 192.168.0.254 are addresses of individual computers on network 192.168.0.

Localtalk networks and hosts connnected to your network through Apple Remote Access cannot carry TCP/IP traffic, only AppleTalk. If you want hosts using Localtalk to have TCP/IP access, it must be done by encapsulating TCP/IP within AppleTalk. This requires the use of a DDP-IP gateway, also known as a MacIP server. Apple IP Gateway is an example of a MacIP server.