Sam Varshavchik wrote:
Aaron Konstam writes:
> On Sat, 2010-03-06 at 15:22 -0600, Mikkel wrote:
>> On 03/06/2010 03:06 PM, Aaron Konstam wrote:
>> > > I am not using my neighbors wireless. The machine is hard-wired
>> to the
>> > router but does not use the router as a DHCP server. It did until this
>> > morning but now it does not. How does one change that behavior?
>> > Check the configuration of the router. You can also try to reset the
>> router. Outside of giving the machine a static IP address, there is
>> not much you can do on the machine. This is NOT a problem with the
>> Linux machine - it is a router problem.
>>
>> If you want to know why this is a router problem, find some good
>> documentation on how DHCP works. The machine making the request
>> responds to the first DHCP server that replies...
>>
>> Mikkel
>
> I agree with your analysis of the problem. But that leaves us with the
> following mystery.. There are 4 machines on the LAN. Why does only the
> one get a response from the providers DHCP server first? Also why this
> only occurred this morning after using the routers DHCP server for 6
> months?
DHCP requests are, by definition, sent to the local link broadcast
address, and can only be received by DHCP servers on the same network
segment. DHCP requests cannot cross a router or hop to a different
network segment. A DHCP server is always required to be on the same
network segment as its clients, in order to receive DHCP requests and
manage the clients.
In other words, I'm firmly convinced that the laws of physics of our
shared universe prohibit a machine on your local LAN from being able to
obtain an IP address from some DHCP server outside of your LAN. Although
I understand that this is what you claim has happened, it is simply not
possible, according to everything I know about DHCP. Although DHCP is
not actually one of my areas of deep expertise, I'm fairly certain that
that's not how DHCP works.
I'm firmly convinced that the machine in question is visible to the ISP DHCP
server, although I can't say why that would be so.
So far, looking over this thread, you've merely paraphrased what
you
think is happening. You've stated what you think has happened, but in
your own words only. I don't recall you posting the actual raw, hard
data. Maybe I missed it, but if so, instead of interpreting what you
think has happened, you should actually post what's actually happening.
Without actually looking at your actual machine configuration, any
advice you receive is indistinguishable from a random guess. By
configuration I mean:
> From your LAN machines which are configured and are working correctly:
* The contents of your /etc/sysconfig/ifcfg-<interface> configuration files
* The output of the "ifconfig <interface>" command
* The output of the "route" command, with and without the -n option.
* The contents of /etc/resolv.conf
* The output of "grep dhclient /var/log/messages", presuming that your
most recent DHCP configuration is still logged there, and the log file
has not been rotated, since then.
* A traceroute to some well-known site, such as
www.google.com.
Then, from your questionable host, which you believe has accomplished
the impossible feat of contacting a DHCP server on a different network
segment, the same exact stuff. The above may not necessarily be an
exclusive list, somewhat else may also suggest some other useful tidbit
to look into, but that's the bare minimum required for anyone, other
than yourself, to have any idea how your machine is configured,
network-wise. That does, also, mean that you should not mask or hide the
actual data, like replacing IP addresses or hostnames with dummy labels,
thinking that they're secret, in some way.
--
Bill Davidsen <davidsen(a)tmr.com>
"We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked." - from Slashdot