Re: autoip config option?

[Tim Niemueller <tim niemueller de>]

Nikolaus Filus wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> before any comments, some questions from a not-so-well-informed-one:
> - For which scenarios assigns nm an auto-ip?

If no IP configuration can be obtained from other sources (DHCP).

> - Where is auto-ip useful?

In any scenario where machines on the local-link need to exchange
information over an IP network without central infrastructure. The
typical scenario is an ad-hoc network, where ad-hoc can also mean a
bunch of machines interconnected with cables and a switch but without a
DHCP server.

> - is it possible to differentiate between an AP and a Adhoc-net?

Not necessarily. You could as well have an AP without DHCP available,
either if it is just not configured or if the server is down. Another
use case I experienced is when the AP is up but the uplink is broken
(and the DHCP is on a central base and not on the AP itself). Now you
can connect to the AP but do not get IP configuration.

> IMHO is auto-ip not necessary for connections with an AP, as it is 
> (mostly) used for "real" networks with its own topology. auto-ip would be 
> good in ad-hoc networks, when a friend is nearby and you want just share 
> some data. If this is not the scenario in NM, I would like to be able to 
> turn auto-ip off on a per-network basis.

As said also in AP and cabled networks it can make sense. A reasonable
assumption is that we want AutoIP if there is no DHCP available. Marking
this clearly with an additional icon should be sufficient to track down
problems quickly.

I would even find an option "Raise a network" interesting where you
setup an AP on your own host quickly. The timeout for ad-hoc network is
too short. Last time when I tried it both stations had to connect in 20
seconds if I'm right after this it would fall back to other reachable
networks.

> How can the peers be described and what is signal-strength then, when 
> connected to an adhoc network? Is it usefull to show the bars then?

Hmm, Robert, do you have information how this is done, if it is done?

> In my reasoning, there is no real connection when on auto-ip, so why show 
> the bars? Otherwise it should be marked as a special case, as I'm not 
> able to connect to an known peer.

As said we can use AutoIP in an infrastructure network and we should not
deny that possibility per se. Also having completely different icons or
bars is pretty confusing. I still vote for that "sub-icon".

	Tim

-- 
    Tim Niemueller <tim niemueller de>      www.niemueller.de
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