What is the loopback setting and when do I need it

Problem/Symptom

What is the loopback setting and when do I need it?

Solution

The loopback interface is used to identify the device. While any interface address can be used to determine if the device is online, the loopback address is the preferred method. Whereas interfaces might be removed or addresses changed based on network topology changes, the loopback address never changes.
When you ping an individual interface address, the results do not always indicate the health of the device. For example, a subnet mismatch in the configuration of two endpoints on a point-to-point link makes the link appear to be inoperable. Pinging the interface to determine whether the device is online provides a misleading result. An interface might be unavailable because of a problem unrelated to the device's configuration or operation.

Apply to

All Xcube NAS series model