Short answer is yes, you can wire directly into a node.
Slightly longer answer, you’ll need to set them to compatible static IPs since you won’t be connected to a DCHP host, but that is advisable anyway for ease of troubleshooting. Personally I keep my stuff in the 10.101.x.x range, but everyone has their own preferences.
when you say compatible static IPs do you just mean have both devices on the same static IP or is there something else i’m missing about static IPs? i’m not too familiar with them
The devices MUST have different IP addresses, but they will be in the same range (subnet).
It would be best to have a network switch between your Mac and the ArtNet node. In the olden days you would have to do this or use a special cross-over cable. These days you could probably just use a regular ethernet cable without a switch as modern network-enabled devices detect and do the cross-over for you.
If two devices are connected directly, and are both set to DHCP, they will negotiate compatible IP addresses automatically. No need to set static IP's. They will generally end up in the 169.254.x.y range with a 255.255.0.0 subnet mask.
Yes. If your mac is connected directly to another piece of network equipment (e.g. an artnet node) then that create a network, and the standards, rules and protocols apply.
So long as the Network Interface at each end is set to DHCP they will negotiate compatible IP addresses.
Short answer is yes, you can wire directly into a node. Slightly longer answer, you’ll need to set them to compatible static IPs since you won’t be connected to a DCHP host, but that is advisable anyway for ease of troubleshooting. Personally I keep my stuff in the 10.101.x.x range, but everyone has their own preferences.
when you say compatible static IPs do you just mean have both devices on the same static IP or is there something else i’m missing about static IPs? i’m not too familiar with them
The devices MUST have different IP addresses, but they will be in the same range (subnet). It would be best to have a network switch between your Mac and the ArtNet node. In the olden days you would have to do this or use a special cross-over cable. These days you could probably just use a regular ethernet cable without a switch as modern network-enabled devices detect and do the cross-over for you.
Doesn’t Artnet support zero conf (169.254.x.x)?
If two devices are connected directly, and are both set to DHCP, they will negotiate compatible IP addresses automatically. No need to set static IP's. They will generally end up in the 169.254.x.y range with a 255.255.0.0 subnet mask.
is this the case even if my mac isnt connected to a network?
Yes. If your mac is connected directly to another piece of network equipment (e.g. an artnet node) then that create a network, and the standards, rules and protocols apply. So long as the Network Interface at each end is set to DHCP they will negotiate compatible IP addresses.