Static Routes in RH73 Linux

(Other routing page: routes.html)

Here’s how to set up Red Hat 7.3 /etc/sysconfig/static-routes file, I mention this here because this had me halted for longer than I wanted to be stuck trying to figure out how exactly this file works:

eth0 v 172.16.0.1
eth1 v 16.1.224.98
eth1 v default gw 16.1.224.1

So this system has 2 static IP addresses, 172.16.0.1 and 16.1.224.98. Looking at my route table I have:

[root@linux root]# netstat -rn
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags   MSS Window  irtt Iface
16.1.224.0      0.0.0.0         255.255.252.0   U        40 0          0 eth1
172.16.0.0      0.0.0.0         255.255.0.0     U        40 0          0 eth0
127.0.0.0       0.0.0.0         255.0.0.0       U        40 0          0 lo
[root@linux root]#

So I have my loopback and the two networks, but I don’t have any host lines (UH) for the static ip addresses themselves, nor do I have a default gateway (UG), so adding the /etc/sysconfig/static-routes and restarting the networking (service network restart) I then get the following correct route information:

[root@linux root]# netstat -rn
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags   MSS Window  irtt Iface
172.16.0.1      0.0.0.0         255.255.255.255 UH       40 0          0 eth0
16.1.224.98     0.0.0.0         255.255.255.255 UH       40 0          0 eth1
16.1.224.0      0.0.0.0         255.255.252.0   U        40 0          0 eth1
172.16.0.0      0.0.0.0         255.255.0.0     U        40 0          0 eth0
127.0.0.0       0.0.0.0         255.0.0.0       U        40 0          0 lo
0.0.0.0         16.1.224.1      0.0.0.0         UG       40 0          0 eth1
[root@linux root]#