Re: [gentoo-user] eth0 fallback configuration is ignored

[Mick <michaelkintzios@gmail.com>]

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On Sunday 28 October 2007, Dan Farrell wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:19:13 +0000
>
> Mick <michaelkintzios@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Saturday 27 October 2007, Dan Farrell wrote:
> > > On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:58:11 +0930
> > >
> > > Iain Buchanan <iaindb@netspace.net.au> wrote:

> > > This behaviour is called APIPA (Automatic PRivate IP Addressing)
> > > (from /etc/conf.d/net.example):
> > > # APIPA is a module that tries to find a free address in the range
> > > # Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
> > > # use APIPA to find a free address in the range
> > > # 	169.254.0.0-169.254.255.255
> > >
> > > It provides DHCP-like functionality without a DHCP server.  Pretty
> > > useless, unless you use it to configure all your IPs or a route for
> > > that subnet.
> >
> > Even worse, if your DHCP server comes up later, your PC will still
> > hold on to APIPA - not sure how this feature can be of any use to be
> > honest, but most devices these days from MS Windows to PDAs tend to
> > behave like this.

Let me correct myself here: my Gentoo boxen behave like this.  A WinXP that I 
tested for this purpose does not.  It comes up with the APIPA address and 
when a router becomes available in the network later on, it readily obtains a 
dhcp address and drops the APIPA.  Any idea how to configure Gentoo to do the 
same?

> I was also wondering what kind of useful purpose this would serve.  I
> am guessing that it would be enough for a network on one broadcast
> domain, if there is no need for any routing information.

I am guessing that it is a way of getting two computers talking to each other 
when they find themselves connected, but without a router?
-- 
Regards,
Mick

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