Error produced by static ip setting: ifconfig: inet: bad value

[Yue Wu]

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 06:05:56PM -0800, Jeremy Chadwick wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 01, 2011 at 09:55:47AM +0800, Yue Wu wrote:
> > On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 02:50:25PM +0100, Bernhard Schmidt wrote:
> > > On Monday, January 31, 2011 13:57:29 Yue Wu wrote:
> > > > List,
> > > > 
> > > > Hi.
> > > > 
> > > > I use following setting for my wireless networking enviroment:
> > > > 
> > > >     ifconfig_wlan0="mode 11g bssid my:bssid wepmode on weptxkey 1
> > > > wepkey 1:0x1111111111 DHCP"
> > > > 
> > > > But I don't like DHCP and want to use static ip, so I tried:
> > > > 
> > > >     ifconfig_wlan0="mode 11g bssid my:bssid wepmode on weptxkey 1
> > > > wepkey 1:0x1111111111 inet 192.168.1.144  netmask 255.255.255.0"
> > > > 
> > > > But the setting makes BSD networking not working anymore, and when
> > > > the system starts up, there's an error message:
> > > > 
> > > >     ifconfig: inet: bad value
> > > > 
> > > > What's wrong? How to use static ip in my wireless networking?
> > > 
> > > Remove the 'inet', it isn't required.
> > > 
> > 
> > Thanks Schmidt, I haven't tried with your advice because the issue has
> > gone after I put the `inet' in front of the value of ifconfig_wlan0, I
> > will take a note for your hint and try it next time ;p
> > 
> > p.s., examples in the handbook [1] have the `inet', why?
> > 
> > [1] http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/network-wireless.html
> 
> The advice you were given is incorrect; you should absolutely be
> specifying the address family (inet).  The syntax of the ifconfig(8)
> line matters -- meaning, you're hitting an intentional design limitation
> of the parser.  You cannot put the "inet x.x.x.x" part at the end.
> 
> Please see the ifconfig(8) man page.  Here's the specific part:
> 
>      ifconfig [-L] [-k] [-m] [-n] interface [create] [address_family]
>               [address [dest_address]] [parameters]
> 
> address_family = something like "inet", "inet6", etc.
> 
> address = something like 1.2.3.4 or, or a CIDR address like 1.2.3.4/24
> (which would expand to "inet 1.2.3.4 netmask 255.255.255.0")
> 
> parameters = dependent upon the interface you're configuring.  Fore
> wireless interfaces, you'll need to see the man page section for that.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 

It helps a lot, thank you for detailed explanation, I get it now :)

-- 
Regards,
Yue Wu

Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine
China Pharmaceutical University
No.24, Tongjia Xiang Street, Nanjing 210009, China