RFC 1812, section 4.2.2.5

[Craig Partridge <[e-mail]>]

Hi folks:
    
Just checking an interpretation.  Section 4.2.2.5 on Header Checksum
says "a router MUST verify the IP checksum of any packet that is received"
but goes on to say "a router MAY use incremental IP header checksum updating
when the only change to the IP header is the time to live."

As I read the text there are two possible interpretations:

    1.  You must verify the IP checksum even if you use incremental checksum
    updating.

    2.  You can skip verifying the IP checksum if you use incremental checksum
    updating and the only field being changed is the ttl.

I read various related documents and sections of 1812, and I think either
interpretation is valid, though there are hints that interpretation (1) may
have been intended.  I'm obviously very interested in doing (2), because
on a processor I'm looking at, it represents a 25% performance hit to
actually compute and check the checksum on the header.

Thanks!

Craig