FreeBSD eats 169.254.x.x addressed packets

[sthaug at nethelp.no]

> > > One final comment - I still don't understand why FreeBSD "won't" 
> > > respond to pings
> > > when it has an address like 169.254.1.1. I can ssh to the unit but 
> > > it won't
> > > respond to pings. I tried setting up a linux box with an address 
> > > like
> > > 169.254.1.2 and it "would" respond to pings.
> > 
> > Linux is not really any measuring stick in standard compliance...
> 
> If 169.254.0.0/16 addresses are supposed to be link local then I'd
> definitely expect a reply to a ping from another box on the same
> LAN, sourced from another 169.254.0.0/16 address.

Having tested this in the lab I'd say FreeBSD 7.x works exactly as
expected. Traffic on the same LAN works, traffic to other LANs is
not routed. All is well.

Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug at nethelp.no