NETMASKS(5)

NAME
netmasks - network mask data base

DESCRIPTION

The netmasks file contains network masks used to implement IP standard subnetting. For each network that is subnetted, a single line should exist in this file with the network number, any number of SPACE or TAB characters, and the network mask to use on that network. Network numbers and masks may be specified in the conventional IP `.' notation (like IP host addresses, but with zeroes for the host part). For example,

    128.32.0.0 255.255.255.0

can be used to specify the Class B network 128.32.0.0 should have eight bits of subnet field and eight bits of host field, in addition to the standard sixteen bits in the network field. When running the Network Information Service (NIS), this file on the master is used for the netmasks.byaddr map.

FILES
/etc/netmasks

SEE ALSO
ifconfig(8C)

Postel, Jon, and Mogul, Jeff, Internet Standard Subnetting Procedure, RFC 950, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., August 1985.

NOTES

The Network Information Service (NIS) was formerly known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP). The functionality of the two remains the same; only the name has changed.