AIX network configuration

1. IP name and name resolution
   

   smit - Communications Applications and Services - TCP/IP - Minimum Configuration & Startup
   

   Select your adapter and insert your internet address.
   • For a machine using a remote nameserver, e.g:
     

     * HOSTNAME                                           [bioxxxx]
     * Internet ADDRESS (dotted decimal)                  [140.181.yyy.zzz]
       Network MASK (dotted decimal)                      [255.255.192.0]
     * Network INTERFACE                                   en0
       NAMESERVER
                Internet ADDRESS (dotted decimal)         [140.181.96.29]          
                DOMAIN Name                               [gsi.de]                 
       Default GATEWAY Address                            [140.181.96.1]           
       (dotted decimal or symbolic name)
       Your CABLE Type                                     N/A                     +
       START Now                                           yes                     +
     

   • For a machine using a router, e.g:
     

     * HOSTNAME                                           [mpsa]
     * Internet ADDRESS (dotted decimal)                  [192.168.1.45]
       Network MASK (dotted decimal)                      [255.255.255.0]
     * Network INTERFACE                                   en0
       NAMESERVER
                Internet ADDRESS (dotted decimal)         [192.168.1.1]
                DOMAIN Name                               [localdomain]
                DOMAIN Name                               [.localdomain]   # for AIX 3.2, strangely !
       Default GATEWAY Address                            [192.168.1.1]
       (dotted decimal or symbolic name)
       Your CABLE Type                                     N/A                     +
     

     or via command line

        /usr/sbin/mktcpip -h'mpsa' -a'192.168.1.45' -m'255.255.255.0' -i'en0' -n'192.168.1.1' -d'localdomain' -g'192.168.1.1' -t'N/A'
     

     In this case the router will pass name resolution to the ISP and thus moonshines as a domain "nameserver", sort of. Local addresses will have to be resolved by /etc/hosts.
     Note that for some configurations (e.g. MCA machines and/or AIX 3) the entry Your CABLE Type has to be correctly specified, i.e. dix if a transceiver is being used, bnc for a BNC outlet.
2. The file /etc/resolv.conf should look like
   • For a machine using remote nameservers, e.g:
     

        domain  gsi.de
        nameserver      140.181.96.11
        nameserver      140.181.96.29
     

   • For a router setup e.g:
     

        nameserver      192.168.1.1
        domain  localdomain
     

3. The configuration file /etc/netsvc.conf
   is needed to ensure fast domain name resolution. Should look like

      hosts=local,bind,nis
   

   which specifies that for IP name resolution /etc/hosts should be looked up first (leave out the nis entry if NIS won't be active).
   /etc/netsvc.conf together with /etc/hosts is mandatory for a router solution which otherwise passes all DNS requests to the outside world.
4. For machines not resolving via an external name server, some important host addresses (e.g. for install or file servers) should already now be entered in /etc/hosts, e.g.:

   192.168.1.42  rs6kf    # example for a home server