+Capability bits 8 to 31 are used by Secnet as default capability numbers
+for various features: bit 8 is for the original CBCMAC-based transform,
+and bit 9 for the new EAX transform; bit 10 for traditional finite-field
+Diffie--Hellman; bits 11 to 14 and 16 to 30 are reserved for future
+expansion. The the low eight bits are reserved for local use, e.g., to
+allow migration from one set of parameters for a particular transform to
+a different, incompatible set of parameters for the same transform. Bit
+31, if advertised by both ends, indicates that a mobile end gets
+priority in case of crossed MSG1.
+
+Bit 15 is special: it signifies (a) that the sender is reporting all of
+its transforms and DH groups explicitly, and (b) that it uses all 32
+capability bits to do so. Older Secnets only checked the low 16 bits
+for known capabilities.
+
+Whether a capability number is early depends on its meaning, rather than
+being a static property of its number. That said, the mobile-end-gets
+priority bit (31) is always sent as an `early' capability bit.
+
+
+MTU handling
+
+In older versions of secnet, secnet was not capable of fragmentation
+or sending ICMP Frag Needed. Administrators were expected to configure
+consistent MTUs across the network.
+
+It is still the case in the current version that the MTUs need to be
+configured reasonably coherently across the network: the allocated
+buffer sizes must be sufficient to cope with packets from all other
+peers.
+
+However, provided the buffers are sufficient, all packets will be
+processed properly: a secnet receiving a packet larger than the
+applicable MTU for its delivery will either fragment it, or reject it
+with ICMP Frag Needed.
+
+The MTU additional data field allows secnet to advertise an MTU to the
+peer. This allows the sending end to handle overlarge packets, before
+they are transmitted across the underlying public network. This can
+therefore be used to work around underlying network braindamage
+affecting large packets.
+
+If the MTU additional data field is zero or not present, then the peer
+should use locally-configured MTU information (normally, its local
+netlink MTU) instead.
+
+If it is nonzero, the peer may send packets up to the advertised size
+(and if that size is bigger than the peer's administratively
+configured size, the advertiser promises that its buffers can handle
+such a large packet).
+
+A secnet instance should not assume that just because it has
+advertised an mtu which is lower than usual for the vpn, the peer will
+honour it, unless the administrator knows that the peers are
+sufficiently modern to understand the mtu advertisement option. So
+secnet will still accept packets which exceed the link MTU (whether
+negotiated or assumed).
~mdw / secnet / blobdiff