Subject: Re: ICMP specification
To: Andrew Brown <twofsonet@graffiti.com>
From: Perry E. Metzger <perry@piermont.com>
List: tech-net
Date: 10/05/1998 10:35:37
Andrew Brown writes:
> i've noticed two things rather recently.
> 
> 1) microsoft's tracert program uses icmp echo requests (with varying
> ttls) instead of udp packets to high numbered ports to accomplish the
> same task.

Yeah, they thought they knew "better" than the experts.

> 2) the rfc (792) for icmp states that no icmp messages should be sent
> about icmp messages.
> 
> is there an addendum to rfc792 that alters this restriction?

No.

> or is microsoft merely lucky that it works and everyone is being a
> little more permissive with what they send?

Microsoft is being a bunch of arrogant !@#%heads, as usual. Their
traceroute often doesn't work right.

Perry