Hi, I noticed the following object in the RIPE database this afternoon: inetnum: 195.59.213.0 - 213.127.0.255 netname: WILLIAMBROOKES-TF13-GW descr: William Brookes School country: GB admin-c: PC2598-RIPE tech-c: IH22-ORG rev-srv: ns0.insnet.net rev-srv: ns1.insnet.net status: ASSIGNED PA mnt-by: AS5378-MNT changed: cliveg@insnet.net 19990706 source: RIPE (I stumbled over it while querying the RIPE database for an object within the APNIC database while accidentally omitting the -a option.) Clive Galway (the creator of this object) told me after I contacted him that he had entered the following information into the template: 195.59.213.0 - 213.127 instead of 195.59.213.0 - 195.59.213.127 He added, "funny that it dont complain though" - I agree wholeheartedly with him here. :) A check for the number of dots in the inetnum: line should be quite easy, and similar to this: # fix for people who don't include the first two or three octets s/^(\d+\.\d+)\.(\d+\.\d+) - (\d+\.\d+)$/$1.$2 - $1.$3/ s/^(\d+\.\d+\.\d+\).(\d+) - (\d+)$/$1.$2 - $1.$3/ if ($_ =~ /^\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+ - \d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/) { &complain; } I believe there is a sub to check whether something is a valid IP address but can't find it offhand in my (by now pretty dated) copy of the RIPE database software... With regards, -- Niels Bakker, * * EuroNet Internet BV Network Operations * * Herengracht 208-214 * 1016 BS Amsterdam NJB9 * +31 (0)20 535 5555