> >>>>> "SMB" == Stephen M Benoit <benoits@servicepro.com> writes:
>
> SMB> If there were some way of distinguishing between dynamic-IP
> SMB> network devices (e.g. ppp, slip) from the "normal" network
> SMB> devices (e.g. eth, lo), the kernel could take "appropriate"
> SMB> actions on sockets using stale IP numbers.
>
> My eth0 is much like slip and ppp. I jump from network to network;
> sometimes I pull out the eth0 card and switch to ppp instead. Of
> course I happen to use a PCMCIA card, but people are starting to talk
> about hotswapping PCI. You cannot rely on any hardware part being
> where you last saw it, these days.
Good point. I was just thinking that TCP/IP is fairly robust, as long as the
IP numbers of the devices don't change too often (i.e. while a socket is still
using the old IP number). I had not thought of hot-swapping ethernet devices,
but you're quite right: there's no clear way to protect the TCP/IP stack from
disconnection hazards and dynamic IP.
_____________________________ Stephen M. Benoit _______________________________
~ ~ | benoits@servicepro.com | B.Eng (Computer), M.Eng (Electrical)
('>') | Tel: +(514) 255-3550 | Service Providers of America INC
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