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7-20
MAX Administration Guide
Administering TCP/IP
Managing the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
208.211.252.62 00:08:c7:85:ec:f4 Dynamic ie0 1
208.211.252.58 00:c0:05:01:0f:5b Dynamic ie0 1
208.211.252.59 00:c0:05:01:54:6b Dynamic ie0 1
208.211.252.6 00:c0:7b:62:41:f9 Dynamic ie0 3012
208.211.252.17 00:c0:7b:62:41:f9 Dynamic ie0 234158
In the preceding example, the output displays the IP address contained in the ARP requests
received by the MAX unit, the MAC address of the host, and the method by which the unit
learned of the address (dynamically or specified a static route. The output also displays the
interface on which the unit received the ARP request and the number of times the unit
consulted the entry.
To reduce the number of address resolution requests, a client normally caches resolved
addresses for a (short) period of time. The ARP cache is of a finite size and would become full
of incomplete and obsolete entries for devices that are not in use if it was allowed to retain the
entries without check. The MAX unit periodically flushes all ARP cache entries, deleting
unused entries and freeing space in the cache. It also removes information about any
unsuccessful attempts to contact computers that are not currently running. To manually clear
the ARP cache, use the Set ARP Clear command, as in the following example:
ascend% set arp clear
Clearing ARP table...
ascend%
Verify the settings of two parameters in the VT100 interface that relate ARP. Net Adrs, in the
Ethernet menu’s Bridge profile, specifies the IP address of a device at the remote end of the
link. Use the Net Adrs parameter in a Bridge profile to enable the unit to respond to ARP
requests while bringing up a bridged connection between two segments of the same IP
network. If an ARP packet contains an IP address that matches the Net Adrs parameter, the
MAX responds to the ARP request with the Ethernet MAC address specified in the Bridge
profile and brings up the specified connection, in effect, using the MAX unit as a proxy for the
node that actually has that address.
The Proxy Mode parameter in the Mod Config profile’s Ether Options specifies under what
conditions the MAX unit responds to ARP requests for remote devices. When you enable
Proxy Mode, the MAX responds to the ARP request with its own MAC address. Typically, if
you enable the MAX supplies IP addresses in its subnet dynamically to dial-in users.
Managing the Internet Control Message Protocol
(ICMP)
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is an error-reporting mechanism integral to the
TCP/IP protocol suite. Gateways and hosts use ICMP to send reports of datagram problems to
the sender. ICMP also includes an echo request/reply function that tests whether a destination
is available and responding.