Subject: Re: draft-ietf-nat-protocol-complications-02.txt

From: Vernon Schryver <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 11:29:42 -0600 (MDT)

> From: Matt Holdrege <[email-masked]>

> ...
> Just so there is no more confusion, in no way is the IETF endorsing the use 
> or development of NAT. You've completely missed the point of the draft. 
> It's purpose is to clearly point out the problems that NAT causes to a 
> given set of protocols.
>
> Also please do not steer this thread towards a NAT bashing-fest. We need to 
> complete this document and we need constructive input to this draft. Thanks 
> again for your original input.

If the document is not intended to be read as advocating NAT, it also
needs substantial non-technical changes.  It currently comes across as
a list of fairly minor, generally easily fixed problems or problems that
don't matter.  I don't mean to say that is the intended point of the
document, but is how I read it.  Since I'm among those who feel that the
situation with NAT is not quite as bad things would have been if we had
waited for IPv6, you might expect my prejudices to make me read it the
other way.

Instead of appearing to be a complete list of problem and their complete
and easy solutions, the document needs to have more words in each section
saying that the sublist of problems is probably incomplete.  The
shortcomings of solutions to the problems should be belabored instead of
glossed over.  Seeing that the problems are significant must not require
any technical sophistication in the reader.  For example, most people who
should read this document will see nothing but some opaque acronyms
whose problems surely don't matter in Section 5.  Why should anyone care
that IPCEC doesn't work with NAT?

Vernon Schryver    [email-masked]