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 an 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 version, 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 NULL-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, an 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.