JBL VP Series, User Manual

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Venue Performance Series User’s Guide

Auto HiQnet Address:  When devices boot up, System Architect software, when configured to do so, will 
automatically negotiate and assign a unique HiQnet™  address to each device.  The devices will then keep 
this address until there is a conflict at start up or the user manually assigns the device a new address.  

Auto-IP Address: Devices and computers, if set to use a DHCP server, and a DHCP server is not present 
on the network, will automatically negotiate a default IP address in the form of 169.254.xxx.xxx.  This can 
cause problems if you have some devices or PC’s set with static IP addresses.  It is possible that addresses 
manually assigned to Static IP devices may intentionally fall outside of the default Auto-IP address range and 
may now be on a separate subnet and will no longer be able to communicate with devices in the Auto-IP 
address range.  However, if there isn’t a DHCP server on the network, then having all devices/PC’s using an 
Auto-IP address will not cause any problems.  In summary: all devices and PC’s on a network will need to 
exist on the same subnet, whatever that may be.  

DHCP: (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) An established Ethernet protocol for assigning IP addresses 
automatically to physical hardware devices. A DHCP server must be present on the network to provide an 
IP address to each device when power is applied.  With dynamic (DHCP) addressing, a device might have a 
different IP address every time it connects to the network.  If a DHCP Server is not installed on the network, 
a computer will place a default network ID (See Auto-IP Address) into the TCP/IP address and Subnet Mask.  

HiQNet: The networking protocol established by Harman Professional to provide communication between 
products for the purposes of:  control, monitoring, and providing interaction between products. The protocol 
is independent of the physical connection type. Typical physical connections include: Ethernet, USB, RS232, 
RS422, Infrared, and others. For info go to http://www.harmanpro.com/hiqnet/

HiQnet Address:  The HiQnet™ address is a unique number that allows System Architect software, the 
PC in use, and the connected devices, to keep track of each other on the network.  The HiQnet address is 
completely independent of Ethernet IP addresses.  

IP Address: (Internet Protocol address) Identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Each 
device in a network has its own identifying IP address. Example: 169.254.17.42.  Networks using the TCP/IP 
protocol route messages based on the destination’s IP address. An IP address is made of four numbers 
separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255.  The last number can never be a zero or 255.  For 
example, 126.126.17.1 could be an IP address.  126.126.17.0 would not be a valid IP address.  

Subnet Mask (short for Subnetwork Mask):  Large networks may require subdivision into smaller groups 
or subnets to keep the network more manageable.  A subnet is a portion of a network that shares a common 
address component. On TCP/IP networks, subnets are defined as all devices whose IP addresses have the 
same prefix. 

For example, all devices with IP addresses that start with 126.126.126. would be part of the same subnet.  
IP networks are divided using a subnet mask.  A mask is a filter that selectively includes or excludes certain 
values.  Values that do not conform to the mask are not visible to each other.  A mask is used to determine 
what subnet an IP address belongs to.  An IP address has two components, the network address and the 
host address.  Like IP addresses, a subnet mask contains four bytes (32 bits) and is often written using the 
same “dotted-decimal” notation.  A very common default subnet mask for example is 255.255.0.0  A subnet 
mask neither works like an IP address, nor does it exist independently from them.  Instead, subnet masks 
accompany an IP address and the two values work together. Applying the subnet mask to an IP address 
splits the address into two parts, an “extended network address” and a host address.  The subnet mask is 
the network address plus the bits reserved for identifying the subnetwork.   Dividing a network into subnets 
is useful for both security and performance reasons.  

System Architect: A software application for use on Windows PC’s that provides control of HiQnet 
compliant products. System Architect integrates HiQnet-compliant products within a unified control 
application program. This program allows grouping, cutting and pasting of settings, custom control panels, 
and more. It integrates products from Harman Professional brands using the HiQnet protocol.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS