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Re: RFC for Mask/Gateway

  • From: Valdis.Kletnieks
  • Date: Fri Aug 05 15:10:54 2005 
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.

> 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.

I'd subject that thing's stack to some stress analysis - if they didn't get
THAT, who knows what ELSE is evil/broken in the stack?

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