cec@cup.portal.com (Cerafin E Castillo) (01/04/91)
The on-going discussion in regards to spoofing of dial-up IP protocols
such as SLIP/CSLIP/PPP seems to be missing a couple of points.
I agree that SOMETHING has to be done to improve the performance of
dial-up IP over modems. V.32 with V.42/V.42bis offered some hope,
but I would like to see what V.32 extended (V.32bis ??) will have
to offer at 14.4 kbps. The faster modulation will definitely be of
some help, but I believe that above high-speed modems and built-in
intelligence, such as spoofing, is user friendliness.
I have set-up numerous dial-up IP connections using standalone workstations,
PCs, MACs, terminal servers, etc., in combination with modems. The proper
installation and configuration of the system and modem was never quite
'straight forward'. When there wasn't problems with modifying the kernel
and compiling the executable in OS versions that had not been previously
tested with the Internet-available code; there was a disappointing
performance pay-off (ie CSLIP over SunOS 4.0.X/4.1 STREAMS).
I am about to do my first 'customer' Telebit NetBlazer installation.
After having tested this product, while at Telebit, I am confident that it
will be one of the easiest products I will have installed with modems for
the use of dial-up IP. One problem remains: SLIP/CSLIP/PPP on the remote
user system. My customer is dealing with UNIX systems that can only perform
SLIP at the moment, and not CSLIP. DOS PCs are also to be used. While some
'shrink wrapped' commercial SLIP/CSLIP and PPP applications available,
such products and UNIX systems support has been slow in coming from the
current user systems manufacturers. This is were I am back to installing,
configuring, and documenting the use of cu/tip/ifconfig/slattach/route/netstat
and the myriad of configuration files that go with these commands, KA9Q
for SLIP/CSLIP/PPP, AND the use of the modems; for home users who want
nothing more than to get their work done. These people can not count on their
Sys Admin to be at hand for any support problems they may encounter after
hours at home. Software is still needed for easier installation and
implementation of dial-up IP WAN solutions on UNIX and non-UNIX systems.
Rather than spoof dial-up IP protocols, I would agree with the idea of a
modem which can speak IP datagrams (packets). Van Jacobson had once
spoken to me about such a product, while I was with Telebit. I have to
agree that a device that would sit on a bus of some sort and do DMA to
feed-in IP Datagrams would provide a faster interface for dial-up IP.
A synchronous RS-232 interface to a packet modem would also work quite well.
But, once again, software would still be needed to allow this device to
not only work on a UNIX system, but also non-UNIX systems, terminals
servers, routers, etc..
Please add this to the current discussion's 'wish list'!
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Cerafin E. Castillo || //\\ ||\\ ||
Network Consultant || //__\\ || \\ || Los Altos
Los Altos Networks || // ---\\|| \\|| Networks
340 Second St. #6 ||___// \ | \ |
Los Altos, CA 94022
(415) 941-8031 UUCP: {apple,sun,uunet}!portal!cup.portal.com!cec
INTERNET: cec@cup.portal.com
"...No hay mal que por bien no venga..."
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