RFC 2563 (rfc2563) - Page 1 of 9
DHCP Option to Disable Stateless Auto-Configuration in IPv4 Clients
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group R. Troll
Request for Comments: 2563 @Home Network
Category: Standards Track May 1999
DHCP Option to Disable Stateless Auto-Configuration in IPv4 Clients
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
Operating Systems are now attempting to support ad-hoc networks of
two or more systems, while keeping user configuration at a minimum.
To accommodate this, in the absence of a central configuration
mechanism (DHCP), some OS's are automatically choosing a link-local
IP address which will allow them to communicate only with other hosts
on the same link. This address will not allow the OS to communicate
with anything beyond a router. However, some sites depend on the
fact that a host with no DHCP response will have no IP address. This
document describes a mechanism by which DHCP servers are able to tell
clients that they do not have an IP address to offer, and that the
client should not generate an IP address it's own.
1. Introduction
With computers becoming a larger part of everyday life, operating
systems must be able to support a larger range of operating
environments. One aspect of this support is the selection of an IP
address. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol [DHCP] provides a
superb method by which site administrators may supply IP addresses
(and other network parameters) to network devices. However, some
operating environments are not centrally maintained, and operating
systems must now be able to handle this quickly and easily.
IPv6 accounts for this, and allows an IPv6 stack to assign itself a
global address in the absence of any other mechanism for
configuration [IPv6SAC]. However, Operating System designers can't
wait for IPv6 support everywhere. They need to be able to assume
Troll Standards Track