Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!bitnic.BITNET!hank
From: hank@bitnic.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.ibm
Subject: Restricting IBM token-ring snooping
Message-ID: <9010191954.AA20065@lilac.berkeley.edu>
Date: 19 Oct 90 13:35:05 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: hank%bitnic.BITNET@lilac.berkeley.edu
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 18

I'm not very familiar with IBM's token ring having grown up on ethernet, so my
question may be a little naive.

On most ethernet cards there is a promiscuous mode that allows stations to
monitor all traffic.  This is very useful for example for a LAN watching
device, an ethernet bridge or a hacker bent on getting some passwords.

I have heard (second hand from IBM) that on token rings while promiscuous mode
is available on some boards that there is a way to restrict it to just certain
stations.  Is this a general facility provided by the token ring protocols?
How is this identification enforced?  What do I have to buy?

We may be basing alot of our campus security on such a scheme, so I'm very
interested to discover any and all details.

Peter Marshall, Manager (Academic Networking)
CCS, NSC, U. of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5B7
(519)661-2111x6032 peter.marshall@uwo.ca pm@uwovax (BITNET); peter@ria.uucp