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ng_eiface(4)

NAME

     ng_eiface -- generic Ethernet interface netgraph node type

SYNOPSIS

     #include <netgraph/ng_eiface.h>

DESCRIPTION

     The eiface netgraph node implements the generic Ethernet interface.  When
     eiface node is created, a new interface appears which is accessible via
     ifconfig(8).  These interfaces are named ``ngeth0'', ``ngeth1'', etc.
     When a node is shut down, the corresponding interface is removed, and the
     interface name becomes available for reuse by future eiface nodes.  New
     nodes always take the first unused interface.

HOOKS

     An eiface node has a single hook named ether, which should be connected
     to the Ethernet downstream, for example, to the ng_vlan(4) node.  Packets
     transmitted via the interface flow out this hook.	Similarly, packets
     received on the hook go to the protocol stack as packets received by any
     real Ethernet interface.

CONTROL MESSAGES

     This node type supports the generic control messages, plus the following:

     NGM_EIFACE_SET (set)
	     Set link-level address of the interface.  Requires struct
	     ether_addr as an argument.  This message also has an ASCII ver-
	     sion, called ``set'', which requires as an argument an ASCII
	     string consisting of 6 colon-separated hex digits.

     NGM_EIFACE_GET_IFNAME (getifname)
	     Return the name of the associated interface as a NUL-terminated
	     ASCII string.

     NGM_EIFACE_GET_IFADDRS
	     Return the list of link-level addresses associated with the node.

SHUTDOWN

     This node shuts down upon receipt of a NGM_SHUTDOWN control message.  The
     associated interface is removed and its name becomes available for reuse
     by future eiface nodes.

     Unlike most other node types, an eiface node does not go away when all
     hooks have been disconnected; rather, and explicit NGM_SHUTDOWN control
     message is required.

SEE ALSO

     netgraph(4), ng_ether(4), ng_iface(4), ng_vlan(4), ifconfig(8), ngctl(8)

HISTORY

     The eiface node type was implemented in FreeBSD 4.6.

AUTHORS

     The eiface node type was written by Vitaly V Belekhov.  This manual page
     was written by Gleb Smirnoff.

FreeBSD 5.4		       February 3, 2005 		   FreeBSD 5.4

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