Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 07:00:01 -0800 (PST) From: j@uriah.heep.sax.de (J Wunsch) To: freebsd-bugs Subject: Re: conf/2838: Installation chooses incorrect default netmask Message-ID: <199703011500.HAA07705@freefall.freebsd.org>
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The following reply was made to PR conf/2838; it has been noted by GNATS. From: j@uriah.heep.sax.de (J Wunsch) To: pgiffuni@fps.biblos.unal.edu.co Cc: freebsd-gnats-submit@freebsd.org Subject: Re: conf/2838: Installation chooses incorrect default netmask Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 15:31:16 +0100 As pgiffuni@fps.biblos.unal.edu.co wrote: > In the initial ftp or nfs installation, or when an interface is added > the mask is, by default set to 255.255.255.0; the IP address of the > system is ignored. > >How-To-Repeat: > It's not really a problem since we can always set this manually, but > add an interface (/stand/sysinstall) on a class B network. > >Fix: > IMO the netmask selection should be intelligent enough to set 255.255.0.0 > when it is in a class B network, and 255.0.0.0 on a class A network. > The class could be determined by the IP address just typed. We've been discussing this back in the days when the default has been introduced (there used to be no default at all before, and you was always forced to type in something yourself), and we quickly came to the conclusion that 255.255.255.0 is the most reasonably default that can be provided. Almost none of the existing real-life class A or class B networks run without subnetting, and the probably most commonly used subnet mask at least in the typical university class B networks is /24 anyway. I don't think we'd do any better using something else. -- cheers, J"org joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de -- http://www.sax.de/~joerg/ -- NIC: JW11-RIPE Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)
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