Too small TCP TTLs
Head UNIX Hacquer
ut-emx!clyde at cs.utexas.edu
Fri May 12 06:06:50 AEST 1989
Problem: The time-to-live value for TCP/IP packets is too small to reach
some hosts.
Index: /sys/netinet/tcp_timer.h 4.2 BSD, UMAX 3.X, SunOS 3.X
Description:
Some hosts are reachable with ping(8) but cannot sustain TCP
connections.
Repeat-By:
FTP to 'reagan.ai.mit.edu' from 'emx.utexas.edu'.
Fix:
Increase TCP_TTL in /sys/netinet/tcp_timer.h to a MUCH larger value.
The 4.2BSD ttl of 15 is not sufficent. Many other systems with
4.2BSD derived TCP/IP implimentations (SunOS 3.X, Encore UMAX 3.X,
DYNIX 3.0.4 and Wollongong VMS TCP/IP at least) suffer from this.
It is not clear that the 4.3BSD value of 30 will be sufficent
in the future. With the demise of ARPANET, sites
that were only 2 or 3 hops away are now 6 or 10 hops away
(such as the U of Texas). Local routers (gateways) cause even more
hops to be taken, requiring a longer TTL for a TCP packet to survive
to where it needs to go.
Shouter-To-Dead-Parrots @ Univ. of Texas Computation Center; Austin, Texas
clyde at emx.utexas.edu; ...!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!clyde
Tip #268: Don't feel insecure or inferior! Remember, you're ORGANIC!!
You could win an argument with almost any rock!
More information about the Comp.sys.sun
mailing list