ICMP router discovery

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

ICMP router discovery

To configure IP hosts with the IP addresses of local routers and provide a way for hosts to sense routers that are down, you can use Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) messages for router solicitation and advertisement (as described in RFC 1256, "ICMP Router Discovery Messages"):

  • Router solicitations are sent by hosts to discover routers on their networks.

  • Router advertisements are sent by routers in response to a router solicitation and periodically to notify hosts on the network that the router is still available.

The Microsoft® Windows Server 2003 family implementation of the TCP/IP protocol supports ICMP router solicitations and the receipt of ICMP router advertisements, but they are disabled by default. Routing and Remote Access supports ICMP router advertisements. For more information about enabling ICMP router solicitation, see Enable ICMP router discovery.