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From: jbvb@FTP.COM (James B. Van Bokkelen)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Request For Info On Dynamically Acquiring IP Addresses At Boot
Message-ID: <9104182024.AA09941@ftp.com>
Date: 18 Apr 91 20:24:42 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: jbvb@ftp.com
Organization: The Internet
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PC/TCP for DOS has included a BOOTP (RFC 951) client since 10/89.  It
helps a lot, but because of the limit on the BOOTP packet's size and
the amount of space reserved for other items, it isn't the be-all and
end-all for automatic configuration.

The IETF Dynamic Host Configuration working group was chartered
sometime in 1990 to figure out what to do next, but I don't know how
much progress they've made since.  Originally they were considering
BOOTP extensions, but they may have swung over to developing a new
protocol.  One hard problem they're faced with is short-term dynamic
IP address assignment, where a PC picks a new address on each boot,
and uses it for the life of that bootload....

James B. VanBokkelen		26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA  01880
FTP Software Inc.		voice: (617) 246-0900  fax: (617) 246-0901