Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!brtph3!brchh104!brchs1!bnr.ca!rice.edu!sun-spots-request
From: katz@rpal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Re: broadcast address
Keywords: Networks
Message-ID: <525@brchh104.bnr.ca>
Date: 29 Nov 90 17:09:08 GMT
Sender: news@brchh104.bnr.ca
Organization: Sun-Spots
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Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Original-Date: 21 Nov 90 10:23:21
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X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 374, message 14
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In article <411@brchh104.bnr.ca> benson@odi.com (Benson I. Margulies) writes:
> 
> Anyone know why sun, in 4.1, is still broadcasting on the obsolete .0
> address instead of .255?

My understanding is that there are still some old machines around that are
pathological with =respect to .255 broadcasts.  In particular, these
machines rebroadcast any packets sent to the .255 broadcast address.
Several vendors have continued to use the obsolete addresses in order to
avoid the broadcast storm which can result from having an outdated host on
ones net.  I agree that it would be far preferable to have a question in
suninstall which let you set the broadcast default.

Morry Katz
katz@rpal.com (other)