Overview of Zeroconf Networking

An anonymous reader writes "An interesting article in the IPJ this issue. It gives an overview of Zero Configuration Networking. Also talks about Apple Rendezvous, and how they use Zeroconf. Read more about it here"

possible dupe?

[sporty]

Is it possible that this is NOT a dupe? Say it ain't so!

I linked to this piece here.

[amarodeeps]

In this comment [slashdot.org], on the story that already came up about Rendezvous today...

Oh well. *sigh*

Didn't care for the article

[kwerle]

It read more like a FUD article (to me) than anything useful. Seems like they spent 40% of the time saying things like "If you work an a poorly configured network, zeroconf may make some things seem worse."

Thanks for the heads up :-/

Zeroconf won't end world hunger, but it will make system administration much easier for admins who are on the ball. If you don't know a subnet from a hole in the ground, you're probably still hosed (if you're a network admin, anyway).

zeroconf isn't all that useless

[peterjhill2002]

I think that Zeroconf is useful in many different network environments. Certainly in the home, it is nice to allow users to find printers, tivos, and the inside interface of broadband routers. In a University network (such as the one which I help administer) It is nice to use iChat, Apple's zeroconf instant messaging client, and be able to see other users on our /20 wireless network. It is also nice for people visiting the campus who want to use a printer without having to be told how to set it up. In a corporate environment, where OS's can be mandated and all the computers are centrally maintained, the use of zeroconf is questionable. Printers can and probably should be set up more deterministically. There are also possible security issues, that may have a higher importance than in a home or University. To clarify why a University is different from a corporation, there is no mandate as to which platform/os users need to use, only that they can run tcp/ip.

Single Subnet Only

[bill_mcgonigle]

Wake me up when zeroconf can work across subnets.

I have two wireless access points at home, so I can get signal at both ends of the house. Since they predate inter-access-point comms. protocols (more than a few weeks old) the one box does NAT to the other box (which does NAT too). Works great for typical IP apps, but with zeroconf I can't even see the printer across the house.

Ethertalk Phase II required router support, but it worked fabulously, and most router vendors supported it. We need Rendezvous Zones.