NSIP(4)

NAME
nsip - software network interface encapsulating NS packets in IP packets

SYNOPSIS
options NSIP
#include <netns/ns_if.h>

DESCRIPTION
The nsip interface is a software mechanism which may be used to transmit Xerox NS(tm) packets through otherwise uncooperative networks. It functions by prepending an IP header, and resubmitting the packet through the UNIX IP machinery.

The super-user can advise the operating system of a willing partner by naming an IP address to be associated with an NS address. Presently, only specific hosts pairs are allowed, and for each host pair, an artificial point-to-point interface is constructed. At some future date, IP broadcast addresses or hosts may be paired with NS networks or hosts.

Specifically, a socket option of SO_NSIP_ROUTE is set on a socket of family AF_NS, type SOCK_DGRAM, passing the following structure:

    struct nsip_req {
    	struct sockaddr rq_ns;	/* must be ns format destination */
    	struct sockaddr rq_ip;	/* must be ip format gateway */
    	short rq_flags;
    };

DIAGNOSTICS

nsip%d: can't handle af%d. The interface was handed a message with addresses formatted in an unsuitable address family; the packet was dropped.

SEE ALSO
intro(4), ns(4)

HISTORY
The nsip interface appeared in 4.3BSD.

BUGS
It is absurd to have a separate pseudo-device for each pt-to-pt link. There is no way to change the IP address for an NS host once the encapsulation interface is set up. The request should honor flags of RTF_GATEWAY to indicate remote networks, and the absence of RTF_UP should be a clue to remove that partner. This was intended to postpone the necessity of rewriting reverse ARP for the en(4) device, and to allow passing XNS packets through an Arpanet-Milnet gateway, to facilitate testing between some co-operating universities.