Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!barmar
From: barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin)
Subject: Re: self-referential arp?
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.060940.4087@Think.COM>
Sender: news@Think.COM
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
References: <1991Apr18.181504.21390@phri.nyu.edu>
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 06:09:40 GMT

In article <1991Apr18.181504.21390@phri.nyu.edu> roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) writes:
>	Does it make any sense for something to arp for its own ethernet
>address?

Many systems do this when they first boot.  If it gets a reply, it means
that someone configured two hosts with the same address, and it can then
display an error message.

However, this doesn't seem to be what was happening in your case, because
it ARPs for itself whenever it receives the at-nbp packet.  My guess is
that it's a configuration problem.



--
Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp.

barmar@think.com
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