An
iface
node is both a netgraph node and a system networking interface.
When an
iface
node is created, a new interface appears which is accessible via
ifconfig(8).
Iface
node interfaces are named
ng0,
ng1,
etc.
When a node is shutdown, the corresponding interface is removed
and the interface name becomes available for reuse by future
iface
nodes; new nodes always take the first unused interface.
The node itself is assigned the same name as its interface, unless the name
already exists, in which case the node remains unnamed.
An
iface
node has a single hook corresponding to each supported protocol.
Packets transmitted via the interface flow out the corresponding
protocol-specific hook.
Similarly, packets received on a hook appear on the interface as
packets received into the corresponding protocol stack.
The currently supported protocols are IP and IPv6.
An
iface
node can be configured as a point-to-point interface or a broadcast interface.
The configuration can only be changed when the interface is down.
The default mode is point-to-point.
Iface
nodes support the Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF).
ALTQ Support
The
ng_iface
interface supports ALTQ bandwidth management feature.
However,
ng_iface
is a special case, since it is not a physical interface with limited bandwidth.
One should not turn ALTQ on
ng_iface
if the latter corresponds to some tunneled connection, e.g.amp; PPPoE or PPTP.
In this case, ALTQ should be configured on the interface that is used to
transmit the encapsulated packets.
In case when your graph ends up with some kind of serial line, either
synchronous or modem, the
ng_iface
is the right place to turn ALTQ on.