[This document describes a field in the Princeton University Host Database. You may also view descriptions of other fields.]
Each entry in the host database must have an ENTRY-TYPE. This type describes what sort of device this entry represents. The interpretation of many of the other fields in the entry (and even whether some are required) can depend on the ENTRY-TYPE.
This is the most-common Entry-Type.
If you are not sure what Entry-Type to specify, this is almost
always the correct answer.
If a device registered as a PRINTER is also assigned an IP address, and this registration is not a Dormnet subscription (i.e. it is registered as an office device), OIT may choose to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet. And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service. (Printers registered as office devices are exempt from the Tigernet Host Charge, which is in part intended to fund the University's Internet connection fees, therefore printers are not expected to communicate with the Internet.) Office printers which need to communicate with the Internet may instead be registered as with the Entry-Type of HOST; student printers which need to communicate with the Internet may be subscribed to Dormnet.)
Less common Entry-Types are:
A BRIDGE operates at ISO Layers 1 or 2. It never rewrites addresses or port numbers. When a frame crosses a BRIDGE, none of the addresses (hardware addresses, IP addresses, AppleTalk addresses, IPX addresses, etc) in the frame are changed. Conceptually, a BRIDGE operates almost like a piece of wire, except that it connects two different kinds of media, converting the frame as necessary from one media to another.
If the device is also a HOST (it is not a dedicated BRIDGE), you should specify HOST, not BRIDGE.
Don't confuse a BRIDGE with a NAT. (If the dedicated device rewrites any IP addresses or port numbers as it moves traffic among its interfaces, you should specify NAT, not BRIDGE. That's true even if the device has interfaces of differing media (e.g. Ethernet and Wireless). See the description of the NAT Entry-Type.)
If a dedicated device has three or more interfaces that are all of the same media (e.g. all Ethernet, or all Wireless), you should specify HUB, not BRIDGE.
A BRIDGE that has no hardware address and no IP address associated with it (it can never transmit or receive any frames of its own) may be attached to the campus network without being registered in the Host Database. In fact, it should not be registered in the Host Database.
If a device registered as a BRIDGE is also assigned an IP address, OIT may choose to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet. (There should be no need for a BRIDGE to communicate with the Internet; the device's only need to speak IP would presumably be to manage/monitor the device, which may be done from on-campus.) And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service.
The fact that BRIDGE is a valid value does not imply OIT supports private BRIDGEs;
see
Connecting a Private Ethernet Repeater, Bridge, or Switch to the Campus Network.
If the device is also a HOST, then specify HOST-COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER, not COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER.
If a device registered as a COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER is also assigned an IP address, OIT may choose
to block the IP address from communicating with the Internet.
(There should be no need for a COMMUNICATIONS-SERVER to communicate with the Internet;
the device's only need to speak IP would presumably be to manage/monitor the device,
which may be done from on-campus.)
And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may
also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service.
This indicates that the student is a Dormnet subscriber; the student receives all the services of Dormnet, but does not actually have any device attached to the network.
If the student later unsubscribes from Dormnet. the Entry-Type is changed back to HOST-INACTIVE.
You should never try to specify the Entry-Type DORMNET-SUBSCRIBER-HOST-INACTIVE yourself.
Do not register a device with an Entry-Type of HOST-DYNAMIC; this type is only used when setting up devices that serve IP addresses dynamically. (In fact, this Entry-Type is reserved; normal users are not permitted to create an entry with with type.)
IP addresses that are assigned dynamically to dial-in users
should instead use the Entry-Type of HOST.
IP addresses that are assigned manually on a
temporary basis to users or devices (e.g. for demonstration
purposes) should instead use the Entry-Type of HOST.
This Entry-Type can have slightly different meanings, depending on whether the Host Database entry is one associated with a Dormnet subscription. (A Host Database entry associated with a Dormnet subscription can be easily recognized; the entry's canonical name is a student's netid, optionally followed by a digit, followed by ".student.princeton.edu"; e.g. johndoe.student.princeton.edu, janedoe2.student.princeton.edu.)
OIT also uses this type when it creates a new Host Database entry for each student when s/he matriculates, to allow the student to subscribe to Dormnet service at a later date. Until or unless the student subscribes, the entry continues to have the HOST-INACTIVE Entry-Type, signifying that the entry is not currently subscribed to Dormnet service.
If the student later subscribes to Dormnet service (and has a device attached to the network), the Entry-Type is changed to HOST (or PRINTER or NAT, if the student specifies that his/her device is a PRINTER or a NAT).
If the student later unsubscribes from Dormnet, the Entry-Type is changed back to HOST-INACTIVE (or PRINTER-INACTIVE or NAT-INACTIVE, depending on its previous value). Each of these three values indicates that the device is not currently subscribed to Dormnet. The entry remains in the Host Database to allow the student to resubscribe in the future, if s/he should wish.
OIT uses this Entry-Type internally to reserve a hostname, IP address, or hardware address.
When an entry has a HOST-INACTIVE Entry-Type, any device associated with the entry must not be attached to the campus network. The -INACTIVE suffix means that there is no physical device currently attached to the campus network corresponding to this Host Database entry.
You should not normally register a device with
the type HOST-INACTIVE, or try to change a device
to HOST-INACTIVE.
If the device is a dedicated ROUTER (not a HOST), then instead specify ROUTER.
If a HOST functions as both a HOST and a NAT (Network Address Translator),
then specify NAT, not HOST-ROUTER.
A HUB operates at ISO Layers 1 or 2. It never rewrites addresses or port numbers. When a packet crosses a HUB, none of the addresses in the packet (hardware addresses, IP addresses, AppleTalk addresses, IPX addresses, etc) are changed. Conceptually, a HUB operates like a piece of wire.
Examples of devices that should be registered as a HUB include dedicated multiport repeaters and Ethernet switches.
If the device is also a HOST (it is not a dedicated HUB), you should specify HOST, not HUB.
Don't confuse a HUB with a NAT. (If the dedicated device rewrites any IP addresses or port numbers as it moves packets among its interfaces, you should specify NAT, not HUB. See the description of the NAT Entry-Type.)
If a dedicated device bridges or switches packets among multiple interfaces where not all the interfaces are of the same media (e.g. some may be Ethernet while some may be Wireless), you should specify BRIDGE, not HUB.
A HUB that has no hardware address and no IP address associated with it (it can never transmit or receive any frames of its own) may be attached to the campus network without being registered in the Host Database. In fact, it should not be registered in the Host Database.
If a device registered as a HUB is also assigned an IP address, OIT may choose to block the IP address from communicating with the Internet. (There should be no need for a HUB to communicate with the Internet; the device's only need to speak IP would presumably be to manage/monitor the device, which may be done from on-campus.) And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service.
The fact that HUB is a valid value does not imply OIT supports private HUBs;
see
Connecting a Private Ethernet Repeater, Bridge, or Switch to the Campus Network.
Although a dedicated NAT usually functions as both a NAT and a ROUTER (and may even be referred to as a "NAT Router"), you should specify NAT, never ROUTER.
A dedicated VPN gateway that also performs NAT should be registered as a NAT.
If the device is also a host (it is not a dedicated NAT, nor dedicated VPN gateway) then specify HOST, not NAT.
Don't confuse a NAT with a BRIDGE or a HUB. (If the dedicated device rewrites no hardware addresses, IP addresses, nor port numbers, but instead simply copies frames from one physical interface to another, then it is a BRIDGE or a HUB. See the descriptions of those two Entry-Types.)
The fact that NAT is a valid value does not imply OIT supports NATs;
see
Connecting a Private Network Address Translator to the Campus Network.
If the Host Database entry was associated with a Dormnet subscription, it
means that the student previously had subscribed the device as a NAT,
then later unsubscribed the device from Dormnet.
When the student unsubscribed the device, the Entry-Type was automatically
changed from NAT to NAT-INACTIVE.
(See the description of HOST-INACTIVE for more details.)
A device that acts both as a HOST and as a PRINTER-SERVER should be registered as a HOST.
If the Host Database entry was associated with a Dormnet subscription, it
means that the student previously had subscribed the device as a PRINTER,
then later unsubscribed the device from Dormnet.
When the student unsubscribed the device, the Entry-Type was automatically
changed from PRINTER to PRINTER-INACTIVE.
(See the description of HOST-INACTIVE for more details.)
If a device registered as a PROJECTOR is also assigned an IP address, and this registration is not a Dormnet subscription (i.e. it is registered as an office device), OIT may choose to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet. And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service. (Projectors registered as office devices are exempt from the Tigernet Host Charge, which is in part intended to fund the University's Internet connection fees, therefore projectors are not expected to communicate with the Internet.) Office projectors which need to communicate with the Internet may instead be registered as with the Entry-Type of HOST; student projectors which need to communicate with the Internet may be subscribed to Dormnet as HOSTs.
Customers are not permitted to create or change an entry with this type;
you cannot create or change Personal IP Addresses via the
Host Database Web interface.
Instead contact
remote@princeton.edu.)
If the device is also a HOST (it is not a dedicated ROUTER), then instead specify HOST-ROUTER.
If a dedicated device functions as both a ROUTER and a NAT (Network Address Translator), then specify NAT, not ROUTER.
If a dedicated device functions as both a ROUTER and a VPN gateway, but performs NAT (Network Address Translator) for the VPN clients, then specify NAT, not ROUTER.
Unless you know what you are doing, you should not specify ROUTER.
If a device registered as a SCANNER is also assigned an IP address, and this registration is not a Dormnet subscription (i.e. it is registered as an office device), OIT may choose to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet. And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service. (Scanners registered as office devices are exempt from the Tigernet Host Charge, which is in part intended to fund the University's Internet connection fees, therefore scanners are not expected to communicate with the Internet.) Office scanners which need to communicate with the Internet may instead be registered as with the Entry-Type of HOST; student scanners which need to communicate with the Internet may be subscribed to Dormnet as HOSTs.
Do not set a device's Entry-Type to SUBNET.
If a device registered as a UPS is also assigned an IP address, OIT may choose
to block that IP address from communicating with the Internet.
(There should be no need for a UPS to communicate with the Internet;
the device's only need to speak IP would presumably be to manage/monitor the device,
which may be done from on-campus.)
And to prevent the device from reaching the Internet via OIT VPN Service, the IP address may
also be blocked from communicating with OIT VPN Service.
If a device is both a HOST and an X-TERMINAL, specify HOST, not X-TERMINAL.
The Entry-Types HOST-INACTIVE, PRINTER-INACTIVE, and NAT-INACTIVE are used more than other -INACTIVE Entry-Types. Each is described in detail in a section of its own, above.
You should not normally specify an Entry-Type that ends with -INACTIVE.
The only ENTRY-TYPE values that are valid for a Dormnet subscription are HOST, PRINTER, NAT, and HOST-INACTIVE, PRINTER-INACTIVE, and NAT-INACTIVE. (The values that end with -INACTIVE denote Dormnet Host Database entries that are not currently subscribed to Dormnet.)