From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jul 11 20:59:07 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0607A106566C for ; Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:59:07 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bc979@lafn.org) Received: from zoom.lafn.org (zoom.lafn.org [206.117.18.8]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CFB778FC14 for ; Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:59:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bc979@lafn.org) Received: from [10.0.1.196] (pool-71-109-162-173.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net [71.109.162.173]) (authenticated bits=0) by zoom.lafn.org (8.14.2/8.13.4) with ESMTP id m6BKx5PJ014492 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NO); Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:59:06 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from bc979@lafn.org) Message-Id: <72FE8204-C02F-4BFB-AF3B-42F095C8CEB6@lafn.org> From: Doug Hardie To: Steve Bertrand In-Reply-To: <48775658.2020508@ibctech.ca> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v926) Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:59:05 -0700 References: <48775658.2020508@ibctech.ca> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.926) X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.92.1/7693/Fri Jul 11 08:56:33 2008 on zoom.lafn.org X-Virus-Status: Clean Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: IPv6 Auto Discovery X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:59:07 -0000 On Jul 11, 2008, at 05:47, Steve Bertrand wrote: > Doug Hardie wrote: >> Mac OS-X does a form of auto discovery on IPv6 where the machines >> on a local network add the machine name to the ndp table when they >> see activity from that machine. > > ...FreeBSD does this as well (Neighbor Discovery). > > pearl# ndp -a > Neighbor Linklayer Address Netif Expire S Flags > lanx.eagle.ca 0:b:46:3e:f3:41 fxp0 23h59m41s S R > vandetta.ibctech.ca 0:f:b5:80:58:77 fxp0 15s R > v6.ibctech.ca 0:e:c:6c:e9:62 fxp0 permanent R > v6.ibctech.ca 0:e:c:6c:e9:62 fxp0 permanent R > ...etc, etc. > > If you don't have DNS configured, or you do not have reverse DNS > entries for the host IPs you are talking to, then only the IP will > be listed above. > >> So far I only have a rudimentary IPv6 configuration on FreeBSD 7 >> running and it only sees the IP address, and then only after I ping >> the other end. > > What you see above is normal functionality of the IPv6 Neighbor > Discovery Protocol (RFC-4861). The 'neighbor cache' only gets > populated with entries when IP communication takes place, or you > receive/accept a router advertisement with a list of prefixes (ndp - > p). > > The fact that names are not appearing is due to (mis|non) > configuration of DNS either for the resolver on the box itself, or > reverse DNS missing for the LAN IPs as stated above. > > To add a DNS server in FreeBSD, simply: > > # echo "nameserver ip.of.name.server" >> /etc/resolv.conf > >> I couldn't find anything in /etc/defaults that seems to address >> auto discovery. Is this something I have missed or what? > > Perhaps you are referring to 'Auto Configuration' (RFC-4862)? > Neighbor Discovery and Auto Configuration perform different tasks, > but the former is required by the latter. > > Can you describe exactly what you want to achieve? Is it only the > name resolution problem you described above? I originally thought it was a DNS issue also. There is no DNS server on the network. However, that doesn't seem to bother the Macs as they quickly pick up the names of the machines and disseminate them to each other without a DNS server. This is a test setup and systems come and go frequently. I don't want the hassle of having to maintain a DNS server that would require modes several times a day.