Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uunet!atexnet!cvbnet!akobayas
From: akobayas@cvbnet.UUCP (Andrew Kobayashi)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Subnet 0
Message-ID: <41@cvbnet.Prime.COM>
Date: 13 Sep 89 19:02:01 GMT
Sender: postnews@cvbnet.Prime.COM
Lines: 27

I have a question about the use of 0 as a legitimate sub-network number.

My site is running a Class B address which we have carved up into
Class C subnets for convenience.  One of them is subnet 0, that is,
the addresses are XX.XX.0.YY, where XX.XX is our Class B address and
YY is the host number.  Things have apparently been running fine for
about eight months.

The question is whether this is "allowed" and (as a separate issue)
whether it is a "good idea", and specifically whether we should change
the subnet number to something else.  The concern is apparently with the
use of XX.XX.0.0 as a broadcast address by some IP implementations.
There is no host number 0 on the 0 subnet, but someone with an HP analyzer
on the 0 subnet thought he saw some strange traffic.

We are running a mixture of Suns (on 3.x and 4.0), IBM mainframes, Pixels,
and i'm not sure what else.

It is also possible that i'm completely confused and am not asking the
right question.  Any help is appreciated.

	--Andrew Kobayashi
	  Prime Computer (at least that's what they're calling it *this* week.)
	  <@en-c06.prime.com:akobayas@spica2.prime.com>
	  {sun,linus,decvax,atexnet}!cvbnet!akobayas

	  insert standard disclaimer.