Subject: Re: why broadcast packet is not fragmented..
To: v.nagasrinivas <cheluvi@yahoo.com>
From: Ignatios Souvatzis <is@netbsd.org>
List: tech-net
Date: 11/11/2001 20:14:25
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Hi,

On Fri, Oct 26, 2001 at 09:38:15AM +0530, v.nagasrinivas wrote:

>          I am going through NetBSD 1.5 kernel, IP stack code.
> In ip_output ( ip_output.c),  around line nos 410,411..
> i could't understand the idea, do't allow broadcast messages to be
> fragmented. i tried in RFC 791, and 815 could't get any stuff.
> could any body give knowledge to me...

I notice nobody answered before...

Richard Stevens wrote in TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 2., Page 234 about this
test:

	"This last test is a policy decision. Nothing in the IP protocol
	specification explicitly prohibits the fragementation of
	broadcast packets. By requiring the packet to fit within the
	MTU of the interface, however, there is an increased chance
	that the broadcast packet will be received at every interface,
	because there is a better chance of receiving one undamanged
	packet than of receiving two or more undamaged packets."

Regards,
	-is

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