3ds Max uses the standard network protocol, TCP/IP, for network rendering. TCP/IP is a two-part acronym. TCP (Transport Control Protocol) communicates data between applications. IP (Internet Protocol) communicates data between an application and the physical network. Each computer in your rendering network needs to be configured for this protocol.

Before continuing, be sure that:

• You have administrative privileges on each machine.
• The network is operational, with network adapter cards installed in each machine.

The TCP/IP protocol requires a device, called a network adapter or Network Interface Controller (NIC), to bind with in order to communicate with other machines. Typically, the network adapter is a network card, but if you are linked to the Internet by modem, a dial-up adapter (the modem) is used.

TCP/IP uses IP addresses to identify the computers on a network. For convenience, you can assign real names to computers. An IP address is a serial number of four integers separated by periods, for example, 192.100.100.1.

IP addresses can be fixed (as in the example above) or automatic, supplied dynamically each time you connect to the network by a system known as DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

3ds Max uses the NIC number, which can be thought of a unique serial number assigned to each network card, to identify each machine in the network. This allows the use of DHCP since the IP address usually changes when a machine using DHCP is rebooted.

In some cases, you may want to specify a fixed IP address, for example:

• When you have more than one Manager running on the same network, each with its own set of dedicated Servers, you need to specify which Manager to use. DHCP can be used in this case, but you will have to specify the Manager name instead of its IP address.
• The second case is when the Server or Queue Monitor is outside the local network (as in the case of a WAN or a multi-segmented network connected through a router). In this case, Servers connected to the same network can still use DHCP, provided the Manager has a fixed name and IP address.
• If your network is set peer-to-peer without an NT server (as is the case with most home networks), it is easier to set the machines with permanent, fixed IP addresses.
• Finally, you can use batch rendering without being connected to a network. In that case, you will need to set up a fixed TCP/IP address and configure the Microsoft Loopback adapter.

In the case of fixed addresses, it is important that IP addresses be properly assigned. In this step, you make up a list of machine names and their corresponding IP addresses to use during TCP/IP configuration. The list will also be used when installing the 3ds Max rendering services.

Using the Manager name is particularly useful when its IP address is assigned dynamically via DHCP, and can change from session to session.

On a closed network, you don't have to worry much about conflicts with the IP addresses of other network domains. However, the addresses need to follow a consistent pattern and each must be unique within your network.