[Techtalk] serverless IP assignment?

[Malcolm]

On Monday 11 February 2002 01:40 pm, Aaron Mulder wrote:

> Are you *sure* you can't pick 1 to always be the DHCP server, 
> or assign fixed IPs?  

How do you propose I pick one? Basically the user location has a collection 
of boxes that they install. Number of machines on the network is not 
predictable, nor is which machines is turned on first. 

Predictable user skill level is around the "can plug in and turn on the 
machine" level (I'm -very- glad I'm not doing tech support here). Asking them 
to designate a server (and then reliably turn that machine on first) is not 
really an option.

> Planning on rotating boxes through this environment, or
> something?

Basically I have no control over the actual environment. The boxes are 
shipped to the locations and installed by the end users. There are 
essentially no techs on location. The users may add or remove boxes at 
random, or not turn one on, etc.

> 	How do you plan to ping before the network card is online?

I don't. As far as I know, you can ping with a conflicting IP (you'll
just get packets meant for other people too). So I can set them to default to 
some IP, ping their randomly selected one, if there is no response from that 
IP, they can keep it. (If there's another box with the same default IP 
pinging a different target IP, it should be ignore as the return will not 
come from the IP selected). Once a valid IP is gotten, the network cards can 
be turned off and on again with the correct IP. (Then have to check for 
collisions if another machine has grabbed the IP in the mean time).

Which is rather messy, but I haven't got a better solution yet. (Thus I am 
asking here in the hopes someone is smarter than I am).


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