HELP - Accidently assigned static BROADCAST address 1

[aaronphughes]

I need some creative solutions to this one.

I have a really simple "box" (nothing like a pc) that I have assigned the address 172.20.113.95, on a network with the subnet mask 255.255.255.224. I did this before I realized that 95 is 0x5F, which is the BROADCAST address for the network 224 = 0xE0.

Needless to say I can no longer talk to this little "box"!! In my experience it either
1. does not answer to this broadcast address
2. router is not sending any messages to this address

I am going to need some real IP experts out there to help me out. Else I will have to send this box back to the company.

Thanks to anyone that can help.
Aaron

 

[aaronphughes]

One more thing. There is no *reset* to factory defaults button either !!

Aaron

 

[jneiberger]

Is this a 24x7 production network or do you have maintenance windows available to you?

 

[aaronphughes]

I am sorry but I have no idea what you are asking me?

The "box" is not a PC and is only controlled/accessed through an ethernet cable. It is currently not answering due to my explaination above.

The "network" can be a simple as one PC with a crossover cable attached to this box, or I can add a router if needed.

Thanks to anyone who can provide help.
Aaron

 

[jneiberger]

I made the assumption that you have configured this box and placed it onto a production network that you don't have physical access to. If you have physical access, just go get the box and reconfigure it.

Ah, but it sounds like the *only* way to access the device is via IP over the Ethernet interface. Is that really true? TCP/IP stack in the box should not have let you configure the broadcast address as its host address.

If that's truly the only way you can configure it then you might be in trouble. Then again, maybe not. It sounds like it doesn't have a robust TCP/IP stack, so here's what I would try. Connect the device to a router however you feel like doing it. Configure the router to have an IP address in the same subnet that the device is in, but give it a subnet mask that encompasses the one the device has. In this case, you could use 255.255.255.0.

This way, the router won't treat the .95 address as a broadcast address, and I'm hoping that since the device let you configure .95 as its host address, perhaps it will still allow normal communication. It's worth a shot, anyway.

 

[ChrisAC]

Just out of interest, what is this "box"?

Chris.


**********************
Chris A.C, CCNA, CCSA
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[aaronphughes]

Thank you jneiberger. Your suggestion worked!

For the record the "box" is a very expensive protocol analyzer.

Thank you again jneiberger. Great work!.

Aaron

 

[jneiberger]

Whoo hoo!! Talk about pulling a suggestion out of my...er...well, you know. ;-) I'm glad it worked!