scottp@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Scott Peterson) (08/25/90)
Has there ever been a proposal for a generic ethernet forwarding protocol?
I have the list of RFC's from SRI-NIC, and have found none.
What I'm referring to is a protocol for encapsulating ethernet packets
inside packets on some other network providing wider coverage (i.e. TCP/IP).
Certainly performance would be low, just as applications written in a shell
language are generally too slow for routine use. But like shell scripts, a
generic ethernet forwarding protocol would provide a "quick and dirty" way
to interconnect many devices. For example a Novell server at a remote site
which only needs to be accessed occasionally (like for email). The cost
savings over installing a remote bridge and the dedicated lines they usually
require would be enormous. The performance penalty for occasional use would
not be an issue.
(THESE CAPS ARE NOT FOR EMPHASIS, MY TERMINAL IS FLAKEY)
IS THIS A BAD IDEA? HAS IT BEEN DONE?
THANKS IN ADVANCE,
--- SCOTT PETERSON
SCOTTP@EECS.CS.PDX.EDU (IN LOWER CASE, OF COURSE)