Packet to ff02::1

[Robert Elz]

    Date:        Thu, 28 Mar 2002 12:10:26 +0100 (CET)
    From:        Michael Kjorling <michael@kjorling.com>
    Message-ID:  <Pine.LNX.4.44.0203281206000.1696-100000@varg.wolfpack>

  | Well, Pim also wrote (just beyond what you quoted) that "the one with
  | 3ffe:8350:1:51:210:7bff:fe30:591 replies from its link-local address".
  | This seems to imply that all other hosts ignore it (receiving
  | something and acting upon it by sending a reply is not the same thing
  | as I understand it at least).

Nodes that receive the NS (which should not be many other than the
one being sought) but which don't have the answer, simply ignore the
packet.  True that happens after it has been received, and analysed,
not before - that's why ff02::1 isn't what is used (less hosts get
bothered than would if it were ff02::1)

  | I have not read the definition of IPv6 Neighbor Discovery, but from
  | what I have understood of it this seems like a good thing. How is a
  | host supposed to know whether any kind of broadcasted packet is for it
  | or not before analyzing it? ("Host" being either a router or a
  | client.)

It can't.  Which is why the very concept of broadcast is broken, and
why IPv6 has no such thing.   ff02::1 is used mostly by humans interested
in discovering who replies...

kre