assigning temporary IP addresses to laptops

[JQ Johnson]

Temporary IP addresses are a somewhat tricky problem, and depend to
a large extent on the campus's conventions for assigning addresses
(since you're really like to have a library solution that generalizes,
or at least that minimizes the changes that the user has to make to
her PC software configuration).

Our approach is currently to defer implementation of temporary IP
addresses for most laptops, while actively implementing a DHCP server
for the campus as a whole.  DHCP (the successor to Bootp) offers
the possibility of temporary IP addresses in a very clean implementation,
but requires both new server software and widespread adoption of
DHCP-aware IP client software on the PCs.  We think we'll have our
DHCP act together by mid-summer (some campuses are ahead of us, but
many have encountered snags in early DHCP deployment).

Another approach that we use on a limited basis is Mac-specific:  we
provide some plugins for Localtalk connected Macs.  In that configuration,
Macs normally get their IP address from a server, so everything works
nicely, if slowly.  You can actually do a similar thing for Ethernet-
connected Macs (tell the user to select EtherTalk in the MacTCP control
panel, etc.) given the right routing hardware.

We're also a Ricochet radio modem campus, so people who want IP
connectivity from their laptops can go buy a modem and get it not just
in the library but also on quad.

 JQ Johnson                       office: 115F Knight Library
 Academic Education Coordinator   Internet: jqj at darkwing.uoregon.edu
 1299 University of Oregon        voice: 541.346.1746
 Eugene, OR  97403-1299           fax: 541.346.3485