BILLW@MATHOM.CISCO.COM.UUCP (11/14/87)
Note that it is not necessary for the hardware address of a host to be larger than the software address in order for ARP to work. There isn't any reason why ARP can be used, more or less as-is, for any hardware network having a broadcast concept... Bill Westfield cisco Systems. -------
brescia@PARK-STREET.BBN.COM (Mike Brescia) (11/18/87)
isn't any reason why ARP can be used, more or less as-is, for any
hardware network having a broadcast concept...
.. or even any network with a distinguished, well known address, by which you
reach the server(s) that store the address information. There is no
philosophical need to have the data base distributed to the level that each
host stores only that part of the data base that pertains to it. However, it
definitely is convenient to have the host in charge of its own data.
I just wanted to make the point that address FFFFFFFFFFFF is not magic, nor is
broadcast.
Mike