RFC 2563 (rfc2563) - Page 1 of 9

DHCP Option to Disable Stateless Auto-Configuration in IPv4 Clients

Network Working Group                                           R. Troll
Request for Comments: 2563                                 @Home Network
Category: Standards Track                                       May 1999


  DHCP Option to Disable Stateless Auto-Configuration in IPv4 Clients

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   Operating Systems are now attempting to support ad-hoc networks of
   two or more systems, while keeping user configuration at a minimum.
   To accommodate this, in the absence of a central configuration
   mechanism (DHCP), some OS's are automatically choosing a link-local
   IP address which will allow them to communicate only with other hosts
   on the same link.  This address will not allow the OS to communicate
   with anything beyond a router.  However, some sites depend on the
   fact that a host with no DHCP response will have no IP address.  This
   document describes a mechanism by which DHCP servers are able to tell
   clients that they do not have an IP address to offer, and that the
   client should not generate an IP address it's own.

1.  Introduction

   With computers becoming a larger part of everyday life, operating
   systems must be able to support a larger range of operating
   environments.  One aspect of this support is the selection of an IP
   address.  The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol [DHCP] provides a
   superb method by which site administrators may supply IP addresses
   (and other network parameters) to network devices.  However, some
   operating environments are not centrally maintained, and operating
   systems must now be able to handle this quickly and easily.

   IPv6 accounts for this, and allows an IPv6 stack to assign itself a
   global address in the absence of any other mechanism for
   configuration [IPv6SAC].  However, Operating System designers can't
   wait for IPv6 support everywhere.  They need to be able to assume



Troll                       Standards Track