gateways(4M)                    TCP/IP 5.4.2                    gateways(4M)


NAME
       gateways - database for routed

DESCRIPTION
       When you start routed, it reads the /etc/gateways file to specify
       routing gateways.  The file consists of a series of lines, each in
       the following format:

       [net | host] n1 gateway n2 metric val [ passive | active | external ]

       The net or host keyword indicates if the route is to a network or
       specific host.

       n1 is the name of the destination network or host.  This may be a
       symbolic name located in /etc/networks or /etc/hosts, or an Internet
       address specified in ``dot'' notation; see inet(3N).

       n2 is the name or address of the gateway to which messages should be
       forwarded.

       val is a metric indicating the hop count to the destination host or
       network.

       One of the keywords passive, active or external indicates if the
       gateway should be treated as passive or active or whether the gateway
       is external to the scope of the routed protocol.

       Gateways specified in /etc/gateways should be marked passive if they
       are not expected to exchange routing information, while gateways
       marked active should be willing to exchange routing information (that
       is, they should have a routed process running on the machine).
       Passive gateways are maintained in the routing tables forever and
       information regarding their existence is included in any routing
       information transmitted.  Active gateways are treated equally to
       network interfaces.  Routing information is distributed to the
       gateway and if no routing information is received for a period of the
       time, the associated route is deleted.  External gateways are also
       passive, but are not placed in the kernel routing table nor are they
       included in routing updates.  The function of external entries is to
       inform routed that another routing process will install such a route,
       and that alternate routes to that destination should not be
       installed.  Such entries are only required when both routers may
       learn of routes to the same destination.

FILES
           /etc/gateways

SEE ALSO
       routed(1M).








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