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DISCUSSION An IP address has a range of valid node numbers that are determined by the address class and subnet mask. With dynamic addressing, MacTCP software randomly selects a node address in that range and, using Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), broadcasts a message to other nodes on the network, asking if there is another node using the address. If there is no response, the node number is assigned to your computer; if there is a response, the software rebroadcasts until it finds a number that is not being used by other machines on the network. The danger in use of this method is that address conflicts can arise if a device with a static address is not active on the network when the dynamic ARP broadcasts occur. For this reason, dynamic addressing should only be used in MacTCP when an exclusive range of addresses has been set aside for that use by network administrators. Open Transport does not support MacTCP "dynamic" addressing. MacTCP dynamic mode addressing was based on an Apple-proprietary extension to TCP/IP protocols. It applied the address negotiation and assignment rules used by the AppleTalk protocols to TCP/IP networks, making it very easy to set up a Macintosh-only stand alone TCP/IP network. Use of this dynamic addressing method in other scenarios, however, could create additional work for a network administrator. The Internet community (IETF) has since developed a multi-vendor standard for the dynamic assignment of IP addresses, known as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Open Transport TCP/IP supports the industry standard DHCP. This article was published in the 13 May 1997 "Information Alley". |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Communications-Networking |
| Category: | MacTCP |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
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