RFC for Mask/Gateway

Fri Aug 5 19:46:07 UTC 2005

On Fri, Aug 05, 2005 at 03:09:53PM -0400, Valdis.Kletnieks at vt.edu wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 13:55:58 CDT, Scott Altman said:
> > Is there an RFC or other standard that specifies that IPv4 connected
> > devices must support the concepts of Subnet Mask and Default Gateway?
> 
> No, because there's plenty of applications (embedded systems, for example),
> where you have no need or desire to be able to talk to things off-local-net.

Which doesn't really excuse you from subnet mask, I wouldn't think.

You clearly don't need a default gateway if you're not going to reply
to off-net packets, but how would you idenfity broadcast packets if you
didn't know the netmask?

> > I have a kludgy (<- technical term) vendor that has developed a custom
> > AP that only has an IP address.
> 
> Be afraid. Be very afraid.  Any vendor in *this* year who makes gear that
> is supposed to connect edge devices to the rest of the net but doesn't
> get the ideas of subnet masks and default gateways should be feared.

Indeed, run far, far away.

And yes, Scott: RFC 791.  It's not just a good idea...

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                                                jra at baylink.com
Designer                          Baylink                             RFC 2100
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