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   Max-Failure

      A related counter is recommended for Configure-Nak.  Max-Failure
      indicates the number of Configure-Nak packets sent without sending
      a Configure-Ack before assuming that configuration is not
      converging.  Any further Configure-Nak packets for peer requested
      options are converted to Configure-Reject packets, and locally
      desired options are no longer appended.  Max-Failure MUST be
      configurable, but SHOULD default to five (5) transmissions.










































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5.  LCP Packet Formats

   There are three classes of LCP packets:

      1. Link Configuration packets used to establish and configure a
         link (Configure-Request, Configure-Ack, Configure-Nak and
         Configure-Reject).

      2. Link Termination packets used to terminate a link (Terminate-
         Request and Terminate-Ack).

      3. Link Maintenance packets used to manage and debug a link
         (Code-Reject, Protocol-Reject, Echo-Request, Echo-Reply, and
         Discard-Request).

   In the interest of simplicity, there is no version field in the LCP
   packet.  A correctly functioning LCP implementation will always
   respond to unknown Protocols and Codes with an easily recognizable
   LCP packet, thus providing a deterministic fallback mechanism for
   implementations of other versions.

   Regardless of which Configuration Options are enabled, all LCP Link
   Configuration, Link Termination, and Code-Reject packets (codes 1
   through 7) are always sent as if no Configuration Options were
   negotiated.  In particular, each Configuration Option specifies a
   default value.  This ensures that such LCP packets are always
   recognizable, even when one end of the link mistakenly believes the
   link to be open.

   Exactly one LCP packet is encapsulated in the PPP Information field,
   where the PPP Protocol field indicates type hex c021 (Link Control
   Protocol).

   A summary of the Link Control Protocol packet format is shown below.
   The fields are transmitted from left to right.

    0                   1                   2                   3
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |    Data ...
   +-+-+-+-+


   Code

      The Code field is one octet, and identifies the kind of LCP



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      packet.  When a packet is received with an unknown Code field, a
      Code-Reject packet is transmitted.

      Up-to-date values of the LCP Code field are specified in the most
      recent "Assigned Numbers" RFC [2].  This document concerns the
      following values:

         1       Configure-Request
         2       Configure-Ack
         3       Configure-Nak
         4       Configure-Reject
         5       Terminate-Request
         6       Terminate-Ack
         7       Code-Reject
         8       Protocol-Reject
         9       Echo-Request
         10      Echo-Reply
         11      Discard-Request


   Identifier

      The Identifier field is one octet, and aids in matching requests
      and replies.  When a packet is received with an invalid Identifier
      field, the packet is silently discarded without affecting the
      automaton.

   Length

      The Length field is two octets, and indicates the length of the
      LCP packet, including the Code, Identifier, Length and Data
      fields.  The Length MUST NOT exceed the MRU of the link.

      Octets outside the range of the Length field are treated as
      padding and are ignored on reception.  When a packet is received
      with an invalid Length field, the packet is silently discarded
      without affecting the automaton.

   Data

      The Data field is zero or more octets, as indicated by the Length
      field.  The format of the Data field is determined by the Code
      field.








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5.1.  Configure-Request

   Description

      An implementation wishing to open a connection MUST transmit a
      Configure-Request.  The Options field is filled with any desired
      changes to the link defaults.  Configuration Options SHOULD NOT be
      included with default values.

      Upon reception of a Configure-Request, an appropriate reply MUST
      be transmitted.

   A summary of the Configure-Request packet format is shown below.  The
   fields are transmitted from left to right.

    0                   1                   2                   3
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   | Options ...
   +-+-+-+-+


   Code

      1 for Configure-Request.

   Identifier

      The Identifier field MUST be changed whenever the contents of the
      Options field changes, and whenever a valid reply has been
      received for a previous request.  For retransmissions, the
      Identifier MAY remain unchanged.

   Options

      The options field is variable in length, and contains the list of
      zero or more Configuration Options that the sender desires to
      negotiate.  All Configuration Options are always negotiated
      simultaneously.  The format of Configuration Options is further
      described in a later chapter.









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5.2.  Configure-Ack

   Description

      If every Configuration Option received in a Configure-Request is
      recognizable and all values are acceptable, then the
      implementation MUST transmit a Configure-Ack.  The acknowledged
      Configuration Options MUST NOT be reordered or modified in any
      way.

      On reception of a Configure-Ack, the Identifier field MUST match
      that of the last transmitted Configure-Request.  Additionally, the
      Configuration Options in a Configure-Ack MUST exactly match those
      of the last transmitted Configure-Request.  Invalid packets are
      silently discarded.

   A summary of the Configure-Ack packet format is shown below.  The
   fields are transmitted from left to right.

    0                   1                   2                   3
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   | Options ...
   +-+-+-+-+


   Code

      2 for Configure-Ack.

   Identifier

      The Identifier field is a copy of the Identifier field of the
      Configure-Request which caused this Configure-Ack.

   Options

      The Options field is variable in length, and contains the list of
      zero or more Configuration Options that the sender is
      acknowledging.  All Configuration Options are always acknowledged
      simultaneously.








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5.3.  Configure-Nak

   Description

      If every instance of the received Configuration Options is
      recognizable, but some values are not acceptable, then the
      implementation MUST transmit a Configure-Nak.  The Options field
      is filled with only the unacceptable Configuration Options from
      the Configure-Request.  All acceptable Configuration Options are
      filtered out of the Configure-Nak, but otherwise the Configuration
      Options from the Configure-Request MUST NOT be reordered.

      Options which have no value fields (boolean options) MUST use the
      Configure-Reject reply instead.

      Each Configuration Option which is allowed only a single instance
      MUST be modified to a value acceptable to the Configure-Nak
      sender.  The default value MAY be used, when this differs from the
      requested value.

      When a particular type of Configuration Option can be listed more
      than once with different values, the Configure-Nak MUST include a
      list of all values for that option which are acceptable to the
      Configure-Nak sender.  This includes acceptable values that were
      present in the Configure-Request.

      Finally, an implementation may be configured to request the
      negotiation of a specific Configuration Option.  If that option is
      not listed, then that option MAY be appended to the list of Nak'd
      Configuration Options, in order to prompt the peer to include that
      option in its next Configure-Request packet.  Any value fields for
      the option MUST indicate values acceptable to the Configure-Nak
      sender.

      On reception of a Configure-Nak, the Identifier field MUST match
      that of the last transmitted Configure-Request.  Invalid packets
      are silently discarded.

      Reception of a valid Configure-Nak indicates that when a new
      Configure-Request is sent, the Configuration Options MAY be
      modified as specified in the Configure-Nak.  When multiple
      instances of a Configuration Option are present, the peer SHOULD
      select a single value to include in its next Configure-Request
      packet.

      Some Configuration Options have a variable length.  Since the
      Nak'd Option has been modified by the peer, the implementation
      MUST be able to handle an Option length which is different from



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      the original Configure-Request.

   A summary of the Configure-Nak packet format is shown below.  The
   fields are transmitted from left to right.

    0                   1                   2                   3
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   |     Code      |  Identifier   |            Length             |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
   | Options ...
   +-+-+-+-+


   Code

      3 for Configure-Nak.

   I