[comp.dcom.lans] Problems with DEBETs and ARP

chris@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au (Chris Chaundy) (04/14/89)

We recently had problems on our extended Ethernet with ARP and found that
it was due to some DEC DEBET bridge(s) having the broadcast address in
their forwarding tables (someone had sent a packet with the broadcast
address as the source address?), and therefore not always broadcasting
broadcasts.  Of course, the bridge should ignore such nonsense.  Is there
a rev. level for DEBETs in which this problem is fixed?

Chris Chaundy

Manager, Networks and Communications,
University Computing Services, The University of Melbourne
ACSnet:   chris@ucsvc.dn.mu.oz
InfoPSI:  C.H.Chaundy@unimelb.edu.au	(DTE 505233430003)
Internet: C.H.Chaundy@unimelb.edu.au
Phone:    +61 3 344 7045  Cables Unimelb
Fax:      +61 3 347 4803  Telex AA35185
Post:     Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia

dd@ariel.unm.edu (04/15/89)

In article <1200@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au> chris@ucsvc.unimelb.edu.au (Chris Chaundy) writes:
>We recently had problems ...
>... DEC DEBET bridge(s) having the broadcast address in
>their forwarding tables (someone had sent a packet with the broadcast
>address as the source address?), ...

	I call these packets transcendental - they come "from
	everywhere"! ;-}

>...  Is there
>a rev. level for DEBETs in which this problem is fixed?

	Yes.  Rev level D (downlevel from the rev E bridges you have
	that are giving you grief) do not have the problem, and respond
	correctly when RBMS asks them if they have "registered" a
	multicast address.  Rev level F also do not have the problem,
	but they also do not like being asked if they have registered a
	multicast address.

	Please contact me if I can be of further help...

>Chris Chaundy

Don Doerner				dd@ariel.unm.edu
University of New Mexico CIRT
2701 Campus Blvd, NE
Albuquerque, NM, 87131			(505) 277-8036