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Date:      Thu, 7 Dec 2006 22:05:02 +0800
From:      "Paul Hamilton" <paulh@bdug.org.au>
To:        <a@zeos.net>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   RE: How does my computer work with an empty arp table?
Message-ID:  <0a0301c71a08$b09761c0$6600a8c0@w2k2>
In-Reply-To: <20061204061444.GA653@host.my.domain>

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org=20
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of a@zeos.net
> Sent: Monday, 4 December 2006 2:15 PM
> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: How does my computer work with an empty arp table?
>=20
>=20
> On Sun, Dec 03, 2006 at 02:53:44PM -0800, Atom Powers wrote:
> > On 12/3/06, a@zeos.net <a@zeos.net> wrote:
> > >My computer is connected to ISP via ADSL and works properly.
> > >
> > >I typed
> > >
> > >arp -a
> > >
> > >and saw an empty table, although I pinged successfully an Internet=20
> > >host one second ago.
> >=20
> > The ARP table is a cache of known ARP<->IP addresses. If=20
> there are no=20
> > addresses in the ARP table then the system will send out an ARP=20
> > broadcast to discover the ARP address that belongs to the=20
> IP address.=20
> > Of course only the Ethernet hosts on your local network will be in=20
> > your ARP table.
> >=20
> > --
> > --
> > Perfection is just a word I use occasionally with mustard.
> > --Atom Ray Powers--
>=20
> Thank you for response.
>=20
> But why there is no MAC address of my ADSL modem connected=20
> via Ethernet? Does my host send broadcast frames to=20
> communicate with modem everytime?
>=20
> Furthermore, when I ping the modem, a proper entry appears in table:
>=20
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
> $arp -a
>=20
> $ping -c 1 rt # It is my modem
> PING rt.my.domain (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
> 64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=3D0 ttl=3D254 time=3D1.298 ms
>=20
> --- rt.my.domain ping statistics ---
> 1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received, 0% packet loss=20
> round-trip min/avg/max/stddev =3D 1.298/1.298/1.298/0.000 ms
>=20
> $arp -a
> rt.my.domain (192.168.1.1) at 00:13:49:61:f9:b2 on rl0 [ethernet]
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
>=20
> But no entry appears when I communicate trough the modem.
>=20
> How can I watch what is going on?
>=20

You can see what's going on by su'ing to root, and typeing: =20

  tcpdump -ni rl0

then try pinging, or sending your traffic.  You will then see the ADSL =
modem
reply (or the PPoE traffic etc).

Cheers,

Paul
=20




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