Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!ucbvax!emrcan.BITNET!fillmore
From: fillmore@emrcan.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Reply to Ethernet Address Uniqueness...
Message-ID: <5A0A050B012801FE-MTAEMR1*fillmore@emrcan>
Date: 5 Oct 90 16:05:47 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 7

In the DEC VAX environment the unique Ethernet address on each board is
overridden by DECNET when it starts to use that board.  The address is set
to four bytes of a constant value plus two bytes which contain the DECNET
area and node numbers.  Lots of opportunity for duplication!
Does anyone know why DEC chose this scheme?

  - Bob Fillmore     FILLMORE@EMRCAN.BITNET