> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doc.engenius.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doc.engenius.ai/bmc-user-guide/configuration/network-settings.md).

# Network Settings

Proper network configuration is the foundation of remote server management. It ensures that the BMC is accessible, secure, and communicates correctly within your IT infrastructure. The BMC provides a comprehensive set of tools to manage everything from basic IP addresses to advanced features like network bonding and VLANs.

This chapter walks you through all the essential network configuration tasks.

## **Configuring basic IP, DNS, and hostname settings**

This is the first and most critical network task. You can assign an IP address to the BMC either automatically via DHCP or manually with a static IP.

1. In the sidebar menu, navigate to **Settings** > **Network Settings**.
2. Select the network interface you want to configure (e.g., **eth0**).
3. Configure the settings as needed, referring to the field reference table below.
4. Click **Save** to apply the changes.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcYHOFMDWDr3I6d_RCkzIdV6Zx1ijvUnSdoudfmF-oi8l_aMupfHdbDa8B99JVfDMrgCTfS0qT1XA4eqK0bRZw5EQS3WyK6Hl-iusF-nZ7ckSOlDg2BqOQo9c7g3ns1jqC_TNv6JA?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Caution: You will lose connection after changing the IP address**

If you change the BMC's IP address and click save, your current web session will be disconnected immediately. You will need to close your browser tab and reconnect using the **new** IP address.
{% endhint %}

**Field Reference**

<table><thead><tr><th width="239.9268798828125">Field</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Hostname</strong></td><td>The name assigned to the BMC on the network.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Link status</strong></td><td>Indicates if the network port has an active physical connection (e.g., <code>LinkUp</code>).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Speed (mbps)</strong></td><td>The negotiated speed of the network connection.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>FQDN</strong></td><td>The Fully Qualified Domain Name of the BMC (e.g., <code>bmc.example.com</code>).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>MAC address</strong></td><td>The unique hardware address of the network interface.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>DHCP (Toggle)</strong></td><td>Enables or disables automatic IP address assignment from a DHCP server.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>IP address</strong></td><td>The manually assigned static IPv4 or IPv6 address.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Gateway</strong></td><td>The IP address of the network gateway or router.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Subnet mask / Prefix Length</strong></td><td>The subnet mask (for IPv4) or prefix length (for IPv6) that defines the local network segment.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Static DNS</strong></td><td>Allows you to manually add the IP addresses of your DNS servers.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd213rkbAkxhj7KsS9dp-o1_4YmZEQVzXkKRKhaTtH3Lnr1KWrdEm7U3M_-35PKE5_RoIYO_uESNP-7vZLHEbVbvWVA8PKsJy5ViPO8M5TTCRipvribqALyF9HZ8niSCfDVvKxd?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## **Configuring dynamic DNS (DDNS)**

Dynamic DNS (DDNS) allows the BMC to automatically update its hostname-to-IP address mapping on your DNS server. This is useful in DHCP environments where the BMC's IP address might change.

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Network DDNS**.
2. Configure the settings as needed.
3. Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcngfYUPlwjqw_VhPyqhgJQyYYkOIHlTHpSaB_Qpld-7MpSbmY_1jCMo1HJjndRe_z8s3J9lycjGEk1c9dHicr1syiOShWyDXmJCBnWhWzS19vrdAxnBWQ9VtwYBYX1YN5VvY4Zag?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdomgk6chiNpA34rYfrdccxBg1z2Uv4znWyFIs_KGSAdIH2qAS4q_qQ8emBW5kQw4UPAVFpr-wbgy518LsJtfdo_RR3RH9KiRI68ta9_LKyd1C2gMvu5fELTYjtTNKWcHKotzDu0Q?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Field Reference**

<table><thead><tr><th width="174.99432373046875">Field</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Send HostName</strong></td><td>If enabled, the BMC will send its hostname during DHCP negotiation.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Send Nsupdate</strong></td><td>If enabled, the BMC will attempt to update DNS records using the name server update protocol.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Host Name Mode</strong></td><td><code>Manual</code> allows you to define a custom hostname; <code>Auto</code> lets the system determine it automatically.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Static Host Name</strong></td><td>The custom hostname to be used if <code>Manual</code> mode is selected.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Domain Name</strong></td><td>The domain suffix for the BMC (e.g., <code>corp.example.com</code>).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>DDNS Method</strong></td><td><code>Register</code> enables dynamic registration; <code>Deregister</code> disables it.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>NS Update Enable</strong></td><td>Allows or disallows sending name server updates for this interface.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Use TSIG</strong></td><td>Enables secure transaction signing for DNS updates, requiring a TSIG key file upload.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## **Setting up network high availability**

The BMC supports features to improve network reliability and redundancy.

* **Network Bonding**: This feature combines two physical network interfaces into a single logical one. If one physical link fails, traffic automatically fails over to the other, ensuring the BMC remains accessible. To configure it, navigate to **Settings** > **Network Bond**, enable bonding, and select the interfaces to bond.<br>

  <figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcWKqlOfKrzmnMZhlg9yKtvjaTxMKbUzIykHnItA16WQVmkPa56ecoK7xY4txRpwl9oykBr3j5rBxXHG786qGVosBtPXV-xHSlFAUgrOFTszd8byYN-pnqyhrrXAfAkEpa6zqAcJA?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
* **Network Link Control**: This allows you to manually set the **Link Speed** and **Duplex Mode** for an interface instead of using auto-negotiation. This is typically only used for troubleshooting connectivity issues with older network equipment. You can find this under **Settings** > **Network Link**.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXczisF1wt6fUVvqgtHkp-SauBdWoPoldU54JfKRbNbx-s7AbTW9s2I1iSeQjWKNa54zY8wRUm1Q2B66pOxKI27_vAIuc-2bynkp2m48dCEJSi0MJi0nk9EJiWkPVJf13Kr16zUctw?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Field Reference (Network Bond)**

<table><thead><tr><th width="214.031982421875">Field</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Enable Bonding</strong></td><td>Toggles the network bonding feature on or off.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>MII Monitor (millisecond)</strong></td><td>Sets the frequency (in ms) for checking the link status of bonded interfaces.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Bond Interface</strong></td><td>Selects the logical bonding interface to configure (e.g., <code>bond0</code>).</td></tr></tbody></table>

## **Configuring the Network Controller Sideband Interface (NCSI)**

NCSI is a protocol that allows the BMC to communicate with the server's main network interface controllers (NICs), essentially sharing the network port. This is common in 1U servers to save physical space.

Under **Settings** > **NCSI**, you can configure:

* **NCSI Mode**: Set to **Auto Failover Mode** (recommended) to automatically switch to a working channel if one fails, or **Manual Switch Mode** to select a specific package and channel.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf7e-VnxBmTzxQQ4K7nL-pTalV2_s9Sy0cDr7YT95PiRY0odekit_sIdPnOJx9x1k6JNAB-F6hstAA0sEqVc8ZmEQ0hy763WAqyXkvPLWzYomx1FkjtWKRjDDWbOCHSOprrWWlrqw?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Field Reference**

<table><thead><tr><th width="151.25848388671875">Field</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>NCSI Mode</strong></td><td><code>Auto Failover Mode</code> automatically selects a working package/channel if one fails. <code>Manual Switch Mode</code>allows you to manually select the interface.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>NCSI Interface</strong></td><td>A dropdown list of all available interfaces that support NCSI.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Package ID</strong></td><td>The NCSI package number (typically 0-3).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Channel Number</strong></td><td>The specific NCSI channel within a package.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## **Configuring VLANs**

VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) allow you to segment traffic on your network for security and organizational purposes. You can assign the BMC to a specific management VLAN.

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **VLAN**.
2. Select the base physical interface (e.g., **eth0**).
3. Enter the **VLAN ID** you want to assign (e.g., `100`).
4. Click **Add**.

<figure><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe8eFGdJmtn5Ipe7wa-1NuJ5v9O6h_z1WMlWolauVaW6WdnDxqYeycRLRjoO9ZocDbaBjf8q1l6zjGi7p3c0_tDYdnZHRNXDIVqOvQoTI3shXNN3PZ9k_3ZiXnSe0bmLqgxOQcqcw?key=UlDoHTEZLTRXe-KURf91Rw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The BMC will now communicate on a new virtual interface tagged with that VLAN ID.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro Tip: Coordinate with your network team**

Before configuring a VLAN, ensure the physical switch port that the BMC connects to is configured correctly by your network team. The port must be set up as a "tagged" or "trunk" port that allows traffic for your chosen VLAN ID. A mismatch in configuration will cause the BMC to become unreachable.
{% endhint %}


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