IPv6 Deployment for the LAN

Thu Oct 22 09:40:50 UTC 2009

On 21 okt 2009, at 22:48, Owen DeLong wrote:

> The assumption that the router "knows" it is correct for every host  
> on a given
> LAN simply does not map to reality deployed today.

What I'm saying is that a router knows whether it's a router or not. A  
DHCP server does not, so it has to make a leap of faith and then  
sometimes the hosts fall flat on their face if there's no router on  
the address indicated by the DHCP server. The counter-argument is "it  
works today" but my counter-counter-argument is "it doesn't work  
today". I get burned by broken DHCP setups _all_ _the_ _time_ at work,  
at IETF meetings, at RIPE meetings, etc.

Anyone claiming that having a DHCP server direct hosts to a router  
address in the blind is simply incompetetent, so there is no point in  
listening to them.

If, on the other hand, the REAL desire is to have a DHCP server break  
the tie in the selection between several routers that advertise their  
presence, that wouldn't be unreasonable.

> Please explain to me how I can achieve this functionality in RA/SLAAC
> or stop pushing to prevent it from being available in DHCPv6.

There is no requirement that the IETF provides all functionality that  
someone can think up. The list of desired functionality is infinite,  
and much on that list is a bad idea and/or can be achieved in  
different ways.

> Seriously, we're all adults.  So treating us like children and  
> taking away
> the power tools is not appreciated.

Stop trying to break the internet and I'll treat you like an adult.