# The Network Kit: Network Add-ons

To add support for a new network device or protocol to the BeOS, you have to create and install an appropriate network add-on. These add-ons, which should be installed in the /boot/home/config/add-ons/net_server directory, can interface with the hardware in whatever way you wish, either through a lower-level kernel device driver or directly from the add-on), but the interface described in this chapter has to be followed.

|  | At this time, the BeOS only loads network add-ons from the /boot/beos/system/add-ons/net_server directory. Placing add-ons in the directory mentioned above won't work.

A network device add-on provides access to a network hardware interface so the BeOS can send and/or receive network traffic on that interface. To create a network device add-on, read the sections on the BNetConfig, BNetDevice, BIpDevice, BIpHandler, and BNetPacket classes.

A network protocol add-on allows the BeOS to use a particular network data protocol on one or more interfaces. To learn how to create network protocol add-ons, read the sections on BNetProtocol and BNetPacket.

All the classes described in this chapter are pure virtual (with the notable exception of the BStandardPacket class, which is provided for convenience). You must create your own classes derived from these in your add-ons.

Since the functions described in this chapter are highly interdependent, there is a lot of duplicated discussion throughout the chapter, where a subject covered in depth in one place is summarized elsewhere to provide necessary context.

The Be Book, in lovely HTML, for BeOS Release 3.

Copyright © 1998 Be, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last modified March 27, 1998.