Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: ToasterNet (was Re: Running out of Internet addresses?)
Message-ID: <1988Dec14.192950.2553@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <8812121420.AA27357@mitre.arpa>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 88 19:29:50 GMT

In article <8812121420.AA27357@mitre.arpa> mckee@MITRE.ARPA (H. Craig McKee) writes:
>What was the rationale for 48-bit Ethernet addresses?  They are never
>used beyond the "Local" Area Network...

In TCP/IP-land they are strictly local.  In XNS-land they are globally
known, with other addressing information present only as hints.

There was also a considerable desire to guarantee uniqueness on any LAN
without reliance on administrative actions like flipping DIP switches.
-- 
SunOSish, adj:  requiring      |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
32-bit bug numbers.            | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu