From nobody  Fri Feb 28 21:22:43 1997
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Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 21:22:43 -0800 (PST)
From: pgiffuni@fps.biblos.unal.edu.co
To: freebsd-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Subject: Installation chooses incorrect default netmask
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>Number:         2838
>Category:       conf
>Synopsis:       Installation chooses incorrect default netmask
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          closed
>Quarter:
>Keywords:
>Date-Required:
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Fri Feb 28 21:30:01 PST 1997
>Closed-Date:    Sat Mar 1 15:51:21 MET 1997
>Last-Modified:  Sun Mar  2 11:40:02 PST 1997
>Originator:     Pedro Giffuni S.
>Release:        2.1.7-Release
>Organization:
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
>Environment:
Non-relevant: 2.17 and previous releases, probably current
>Description:
suggested feature: default netmask should be determined instead of 
guessed.
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.
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
State-Changed-From-To: open->closed 
State-Changed-By: joerg 
State-Changed-When: Sat Mar 1 15:51:21 MET 1997 
State-Changed-Why:  
The 255.255.255.0 has been chosen deliberately after discussing the 
usefulness of a default.  See also the audit-trail of this PR. 


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. ;-)

From: Bill Fenner <fenner@parc.xerox.com>
To: pgiffuni@fps.biblos.unal.edu.co
Cc: freebsd-gnats-submit@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: conf/2838: Installation chooses incorrect default netmask 
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 1997 11:29:14 PST

 pgiffuni@fps.biblos.unal.edu.co wrote:
 >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.
 
 IMO, it's rare to find any network anywhere that doesn't use
 subnetting.  Many subnets are 24 bits (aka 255.255.255.0), and
 almost all are close (e.g. Xerox uses 22 bits, 255.255.252.0,
 so having the default 255.255.255.0 means less editing than
 255.0.0.0 would).
 
 If you really don't use subnetting, you are in the minority and
 unfortunately have to do a little extra work.
 
   Bill
>Unformatted:
