The class constructor accepts a single string argument, which can be either the IP address or a hostname by which the Pulse Streamer can be reached in the network. The constructor fails when the ip has an incorrect value or the device is not reachable. The Pulse Streamer hardware has a static fallback address “169.254.8.2”. This allows operation when the Pulse Streamer is directly connected to a PC network card and without requiring any additional configuration.