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Glossary Networking

Default gateway

The default gateway is the router a device sends traffic to when the destination is outside its own subnet.

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In more detail

A device compares each destination with its own Subnet mask. Local destinations are reached directly; anything else goes to the gateway, which is usually the first address in the subnet, such as 192.168.1.1. A wrong or missing gateway means a device can talk to its neighbours but not reach the internet.

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See also

  • Glossary Router
    A router is a device that forwards data packets between different networks, choosing the path for each one.
  • Glossary Subnet mask
    A subnet mask is a 32-bit value that marks which part of an IPv4 address identifies the network and which part identifies the host.
  • Glossary DHCP
    DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically gives devices an IP address and the other settings they need to join a network.
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