Broadcast_Addr - Nortel 2000 Software Reference Manual

Book C Chapter 2 Configuration Parameters

broadcast_addr

This Annex parameter defines the IP address for Annex broadcasts. It is
recommended that you set a subnet broadcast address, if possible. In this
case, you set the subnet portion of the broadcast address to match the
Annex subnet address, as determined by the Annex subnet mask, and you
set the host portion of the broadcast address to all one-bits. For example,
if the Annex subnet address is 132.254.9.0, and the Annex subnet mask
is 255.255.255.252, you should set the broadcast address to 132.254.9.3.
To calculate this, subtract the subnet mask from 255.255.255.255. Thus,
in the previous example, you subtract 255.255.255.252 from
255.255.255.255 to arrive at 0.0.0.3.
If your network is not subnetted, you can specify a network broadcast
address. In this case, you set the network portion of the broadcast address
to match the Annex network address, as determined by the intrinsic mask
for the network class. And you set the host portion of the broadcast
address to all 1-bits.
Finally, you can set a limited broadcast address of 255.255.255.255 that
reaches all nodes on the subnet. However, if you have more than one
subnet on the same physical cable, the Annex will broadcast to all nodes
on all of the subnets. This can be troublesome if some of the subnets or
nodes do not recognize the broadcast.
The default for broadcast _addr is 0.0.0.0, which Annex RIP routing
does not support (because most hosts do not recognize it).
Remote Annex Administrator's Guide for UNIX
Book C-49