Multiple default routes on multihome host

Bruce M. Simpson bms at FreeBSD.org
Wed Feb 20 21:54:53 UTC 2008


Wes Peters wrote:
> I see a number of people have replied to this message offering 
> solutions of how to accomplish your migration, using a variety of 
> tools available to you in FreeBSD.  I've always found this community 
> very supportive in this fashion, and I'm glad they've jumped in to 
> help you in your transition as well.  Please note that the variety of 
> solutions presented recognize that your transition period is just 
> that, a temporary situation, and that "multiple default routes" is not 
> the solution.

The thing is, in a peer-to-peer or ad-hoc mesh network, not having 
access to a single next-hop serving as the gateway of last resort has a 
much higher probability of occurring than in a fully converged network 
with more deterministic layer 3 behaviour.

So we're largely arguing apples vs oranges here. Fact of the matter is, 
we can't tell people how to run their networks, or which protocols to 
run. People want IP everywhere and they want it now. (Infinite demand 
for free goods is another story.)

The argument that functionality "should not" be present because people 
"should not" run their networks that way carries no water -- 
particularly so when issues of wireless presence and ad-hoc networks 
blow the old assumptions out of the water.

later
BMS


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