Chernobyl packet

A Chernobyl packet is a network packet that induces a broadcast storm and/or network meltdown. The term was named after the April 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl.The typical scenario involves an IP Ethernet datagram that passes through a gateway with both source and destination Ether and IP address set as the respective broadcast addresses for the subnetworks being gated between.
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<networking> /cher-noh'b*l pak'*t/ A network packet that induces a broadcast storm and/or network meltdown, named in memory of the April 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine.
The typical scenario involves an IP Ethernet datagram that passes through a gateway with both source and destination Ethernet address and IP address set as the respective broadcast addresses for the subnetworks being gated between.
Compare Christmas tree packet.
[Jargon File]
(2004-02-17)