IPX Routable?

immortal_knight

If IPX/SPX protocols are routable, then why can't they be used over the internet?

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Comments

janmike

Because the standard for the Internet is IP. You have to have a standard for any communication system.

You could wrap an IPX package in IP frame work and send it if you need to for some reason--like if you were sending into a pre-IP compatible Novell system.

Pretty sure that I'm in the ball park about this. Hope it helps.

Webmaster

Because the routers on the Internet don't have it enabled/configured. The Internet is a TCP/IP network by choise.

dan87951

How is it routable? Does IPX/SPX use MAC address??

Drakonblayde

Not entirely true... an IPX network has a configured network ID to. That network ID is combined with a hosts MAC address to form a full layer 3 logical address. So yeah, IPX is routable.

But it it tells you anything, the latest versions of Netware default to TCP/IP, so...

STexams

IPX/SPX uses the SAP (Service Advertising Protocol) which creates a tremenous amount of traffic on a large network. Novell switched to TCP/IP to get rid of that traffic and be compatible with the rest of the networking world without having to encapsulate the packets.

TheCiscoKid

IPX is very routable. It has to to be enabled on the router using the "IPX routing" command from the global config and each interface that will be using IPX must be given an IPX network number ie: Eth0, F0/0 S0. Such as "ipx network 60". Also switches must be configured to run with IPX/SPX unlike TCP/IP. As I write this last line I am drawing a blank on the switch config, can some one back me up on ths? I don't have my Cisco stuff out right now.