<?xml version='1.0'?>

<reference anchor='RFC2469'>

<front>
<title abbrev='Canonical Ordering Of Link-Layer Addresses'>A Caution On The Canonical Ordering Of Link-Layer Addresses</title>
<author initials='T.' surname='Narten' fullname='Thomas Narten'>
<organization>IBM Corporation</organization>
<address>
<postal>
<street>3039 Cornwallis Ave.</street>
<street>PO Box 12195</street>
<city>Research Triangle Park</city>
<region>NC</region>
<code>27709-2195</code>
<country>USA</country></postal>
<phone>+1 919 254 7798</phone>
<email>narten@raleigh.ibm.com</email></address></author>
<author initials='C.F.' surname='Burton' fullname='Charles F. Burton, III'>
<organization>IBM Corporation</organization>
<address>
<postal>
<street>3039 Cornwallis Ave.</street>
<street>PO Box 12195</street>
<city>Research Triangle Park</city>
<region>NC</region>
<code>27709-2195</code>
<country>USA</country></postal>
<phone>+1 919 254 4355</phone>
<email>burton@rtp.vnet.ibm.com</email></address></author>
<date month='December' year='1998' />
<area>Internet</area>
<keyword>ARP</keyword>
<keyword>Neighbor Discovery</keyword>
<abstract>
<t>
   Protocols such as ARP and Neighbor Discovery have data fields that
   contain link-layer addresses. In order to interoperate properly, a
   sender setting such a field must insure that the receiver extracts
   those bits and interprets them correctly.  In most cases, such fields
   must be in &quot;canonical form&quot;.  Unfortunately, not all LAN adaptors are
   consistent in their use of canonical form, and implementations may
   need to explicitly bit swap individual bytes in order to obtain the
   correct format.  This document provides information to implementors
   to help them avoid the pitfall of using non-canonical forms when
   canonical forms are required.
</t></abstract></front>

<seriesInfo name='RFC' value='2469' />
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</reference>
