I built SLDP (Simple Layer-2 Discovery Protocol) to solve the manual MAC-to-IP mapping nightmare when integrating IPv6-only devices into legacy IPv4 networks (industrial IoT, substations, etc.).
How it works:
· Operates directly over Ethernet frames (EtherType 0x88B5).
· Requires zero IP stack initialization (no IP, DHCP, DNS, or sockets).
· Stateless broadcast/unicast handshake.
· Runs on-demand during commissioning, then goes silent in production.
What it is NOT:
It's not a replacement for ARP/NDP/LLDP, and not a runtime protocol. Just a targeted bootstrapping tool.
I've written a C implementation for Linux, a security blueprint (CLL Trust Oracle), and included a Wireshark dissector in the repo so you can easily inspect the frames.
The Ask: I'm looking for feedback from network engineers. Does this solve a real problem for you? Are there glaring architectural flaws?
Repo: https://github.com/cyberghost-2/Simple-L2-Discovery-protocol-SLDP-
Bug reports and critiques are very welcome. Thanks.
Source: r/AskNetsec · by /u/LY70N