[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] Internet routing Europe - USA -} Europe...

tommyk@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Tommy Kelly) (08/31/90)

In article <1990Aug30.091435.1982@ircam.ircam.fr mf@ircam.ircam.fr (Michel Fingerhut) writes:
}While trying to find whether we (in France, Europe) could reach a site
}in Germany (Europe), I got the following route from traceroute:...

Does this imply that you CAN actually telnet out to U.S. sites?

Is the UK the only place which is isolated from the rest of the world?

tk

lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) (09/03/90)

Lee's time to  flame ->>

In article <6190@vanuata.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> tommyk@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Tommy Kelly) writes:

   From: tommyk@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Tommy Kelly)
   Newsgroups: eunet.followup,comp.protocols.tcp-ip
   Date: 31 Aug 90 07:26:56 GMT
   Organization: Comp Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland

   Does this imply that you CAN actually telnet out to U.S. sites?

   Is the UK the only place which is isolated from the rest of the world?

Yes the UK is really the only Europaen country where not only do we
lack tcp/ip services to the internet but you *CANNOT GET* tcp/ip
services to the internet.  Oh sure if you have ooodles of money and
can afford your own satelite link or pss connection to a friendly site
somewhere on the internet (some of the bigger companies with UK
branches do this) or if you are one of the priviledged UK universities
who have a link such as ULCC, UCL or UKC then fine, you're laughing.
The rest of us?  Forget it.  There is noone out there offering a
service that most UKNET users can afford.

Even something as simple as running tcp/ip over JANET so we can have
some degree of sane networking here in the UK seems to be out.  The
JANET powers that be do not want anything as useful as tcp/ip sullying
there network!  God forbid you should be able to use the networking
software that comes on your machine!!  Far better to have to shell out
for coloured book software! Don't give me any of that rubbish about
tcp/ip not being available on all the machines on Janet, any machine
that sells in the US has tcp/ip available for it.  Normally from
several competing vendors.  Over here you are lucky if the coloured
books are available at all for any new box.

The thing that really amazes me about all this is that there is not a
bigger fuss about it all!  I regularly pull back new releases of
software/documentation from US/Europaen academics from internet, don't
academics here in the UK want to make there work available in the same
way?  Many comerical companies are on the US Internet and release
patches, demo release and the like by making them available for
anonymous ftp.  Don't companies over here want to do the same thing?

If I thought it would succeed I'd say we should all lobby for either
UKNET or Janet to make internet available to us, but a lot of us tried
to get that stupid Janet decision about email addresses being the
wrong way around reversed and failed.  If I was a gambling man I'd bet
any attempt to get us tcp/ip from the Janet authorities would be met
by innane statements about ISO.

My parting question is directed the those that run UKNET:  when is
tcp/ip going to be available to UKNET members in the same way as it is
to Eunet members?
--
--
Lee McLoughlin		phone: 071 589 5111 X 5037  	fax: 071 581 8024
Department of Computing, Imperial College, 180 Queens Gate, London SW7 2BZ, UK
Janet: lmjm@uk.ac.ic.doc	Uucp:  lmjm@icdoc.UUCP (or ..!ukc!icdoc!lmjm)
DARPA: lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (or lmjm%uk.ac.ic.doc@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk)

pte900@jatz.aarnet.edu.au (Peter Elford) (09/04/90)

In article <1990Sep04.045954.25664@comp.vuw.ac.nz>,
Andy.Linton@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Andy Linton) writes:

|> I have much better access to my colleagues in the US, Australia and the
|> rest of Europe than I ever did while in the UK and I would be very loath
|> to go back to the inferior *international* networking available in the UK.

And this from a user in country connected to the Internet via an
extremely wet piece
of string - a 14.4 kb voice grade modem link!

Peter Elford,                           	e-mail: P.Elford@aarnet.edu.au
Network Co-ordinator,	 			phone: +61 6 249 3542
Australian Academic Research Network,		fax: +61 6 247 3425
c/o, Computer Services Centre,			post: PO Box 4
Australian National University			      Canberra 2601
Canberra, AUSTRALIA		

expc66@castle.ed.ac.uk (Ulf Dahlen) (09/04/90)

In article <LMJM.90Sep3171440@oriona.doc.ic.ac.uk> lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) writes:
>Yes the UK is really the only Europaen country where not only do we
>lack tcp/ip services to the internet but you *CANNOT GET* tcp/ip
>services to the internet.

I was a bit surprised then I came here that I couldn't ftp or telnet
to Sweden. All universities in Sweden run tcp/ip and there's no problem
ftp-ing or telnet-ing to any site, in Sweden or USA or whatever (but
probably not UK then).


--Ulf Dahlen
Linkoping University, Sweden   and   Edinburgh University, Scotland
Internet: uda@ida.liu.se

Andy.Linton@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Andy Linton) (09/04/90)

Just a few words of support for Lee from one who used to have JANET
style access to the Internet i.e. poor to non-existent when I was at Newcastle.

I have much better access to my colleagues in the US, Australia and the
rest of Europe than I ever did while in the UK and I would be very loath
to go back to the inferior *international* networking available in the UK.

Lee's point about the JANET authorities seeing the solution in terms of
OSI protocols is unfortunately true. It will be wonderful when (or is it
if) it happens but the real world is voting for TCP/IP now to be
replaced by some as yet undefined set of protocols which will leap frog
over the OSI stack.
So do us all a favour and open the door into and out of the UK.

dfk@eu.net (Daniel Karrenberg) (09/04/90)

lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) writes:
>My parting question is directed the those that run UKNET:  when is
>tcp/ip going to be available to UKNET members in the same way as it is
>to Eunet members?

My understanding of the situation is that those that *run* UKNET would 
very much like to offer that service. The problem is that the organisation
where the backbone site is housed fears political pressures from ISOrmites
both inside and outside of that organisation. So far not quite enough
paying customers have surfaced to set up a separate organisation
offering IP services in the UK.


Something else:

At the last RIPE meeting there were (weak) signals to be heared from the
JNT that IP over JANET is not as indiscussable as it used to be.  That
was -again- for some privileged sites that spoke up.  Maybe those who
want it should make up a case and go ask again.  I won't hold my breath
but on the other hand you change nothing by sitting and waiting
(and complaining to the rest of the world). Got to the JNT and ask them about
services like X-windows, NFS etc.  *now*. 

Daniel

-- 
Daniel Karrenberg                    Future Net:  <dfk@cwi.nl>
CWI, Amsterdam                        Oldie Net:  mcsun!dfk
The Netherlands          Because It's There Net:  DFK@MCVAX

chris@vision.UUCP (Chris Davies) (09/04/90)

In article <LMJM.90Sep3171440@oriona.doc.ic.ac.uk> lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) writes:
...
>Even something as simple as running tcp/ip over JANET so we can have
>some degree of sane networking here in the UK seems to be out.  The
>JANET powers that be do not want anything as useful as tcp/ip sullying
>there network!  God forbid you should be able to use the networking

Not only can't you use tcp/ip over JANET, but commercial sites (in my
experience) can't even use JANET as it stands - not even for real money.  So
no NIFTP, etc.

>My parting question is directed the those that run UKNET:  when is
>tcp/ip going to be available to UKNET members in the same way as it is
>to Eunet members?

What a wonderful thought.  Perhaps commercial sites would be allowed to
use it too (at less that 10k p.a. for the privilege)?

Chris
-- 
VISIONWARE LTD         | UK: chris@vision.uucp     JANET: chris%vision.uucp@ukc
57 Cardigan Lane       | US: chris@vware.mn.org    OTHER: chris@vision.co.uk
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jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) (09/05/90)

In article <1213@vision.UUCP> chris@vision.UUCP (Chris Davies) writes:

   Not only can't you use tcp/ip over JANET, but commercial sites (in my
   experience) can't even use JANET as it stands - not even for real money.
   So no NIFTP, etc.

This is untrue. Commercial sites may use JANET provided they have good
reasons for doing so, essentially collaboration with an academic site
on a research project. JANET cannot be used for purely commercial
traffic (shunting data between a company's offices - or two distinct
commercial sites - in Exeter and Aberdeen say). The rules are roughly
similar to those for use of NSFnet: "free" government funded networks
must not subsidise commercial traffic.

It's more or less OK for a company to connect via PSS through a
PSS/JANET gateway to an academic site and exchange data. In fact, this
is how some of the big commercial sites get their news.

		Jim

chris@tcom.stc.co.uk (Chris Milton) (09/05/90)

yep. yep. yepyepyepyepyep. yep.
that's wholehearted agreement there. one problemo though...

a. can you see academic sites wanting to shell out money they aint got
to modify up to internet ?
b. can you see companies which aren't even on janet because it provides
security problems wanting to go onto internet?

pity you cant telnet using bitftp ... oh well, back to trying to find
the gateway out of this organization into the real world *sigh*. oops,
sorry, i mean back to doing that really interesting pascal prog :-)

bye de bye
chris
chris@jura.tcom.stc.co.uk

sb380@cs.city.ac.uk (Andy Holt) (09/05/90)

Not only is the present Janet policy (coloured books instead of
TCP/IP) isolating us from the rest of the world, but it looks
like the ISO transition will do the same again:
The JNT in its infinite wisdom (???) has mandated that the ISO
profile used in the UK use TC0 (connection oriented transport
service) while NBS in the USA is encouraging the use of TC4
(connectionless transport service).
Here we go again .....

Andy

ajudge@maths.tcd.ie (Alan Judge) (09/05/90)

In <LMJM.90Sep3171440@oriona.doc.ic.ac.uk> lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) writes:
>Yes the UK is really the only Europaen country where not only do we
>lack tcp/ip services to the internet but you *CANNOT GET* tcp/ip
>services to the internet.
Not quite :-(  Ireland is still not IP connected.
-- 
Alan Judge   ajudge@maths.tcd.ie  a.k.a. amjudge@cs.tcd.ie +353-1-772941 x1782

Fortunately the computer virus did no harm to our records. It was
immediately devoured by all the bugs in our own programming.

jonathan@cs.keele.ac.uk (Jonathan Knight) (09/05/90)

From article <1990Sep4.164546@jatz.aarnet.edu.au>, by pte900@jatz.aarnet.edu.au (Peter Elford):
> And this from a user in country connected to the Internet via an
> extremely wet piece
> of string - a 14.4 kb voice grade modem link!

At least he is connected to the Internet by something.  Our political
gateway (ukc) from the UK to Europe used to be a 9600 baud UUCP link.
According to the maps at mcsun this is now a 9600 baud TCP/IP link.
The rest of the UK uses something called coloured book software which
works great as long as all you want to do is transfer files of data in
the UK.

It looks like the management want to go ISO, so at least we stand a
chance of making contact with the rest of the world.  It does seem
foolish that with most of the world talking TCP/IP there are no plans
in the UK for any TCP/IP service over JANET.

Fortunately for us, the UKnet gateway isn't the only one.  UCL have
a 56Kb link to the USA and offer a guest FTP service which allows us
to transfer files to and from internet connected sites.  They also
transfer our mail, and make no charge.  This is unlike UKC which
charge for news, and mail, and they also advertise themselves as
a valid route for uk mail.  This is a pain as they are trying to fit
a full news feed and email down their 9600 baud line, when there
is a no charge route for email down a 56kb line.  There's also the
problem that UKC advertise themselves as a forwarder for the ac.uk
domain, when in fact they only forward mail to uknet members and drop
everything else on the floor.  UCL forward all ac.uk mail regardless
of what they are members of.

So you see that the UK has poor connectivity with the outside world
and is politically restricted in its development.  Hopefully somebody
somewhere will learn how to utilise the resources we have to provide
the service that we want, within my lifetime......

Then again, I'm not going to hold my breath.
--
  ______    JANET :jonathan@uk.ac.keele.cs     Jonathan Knight,
    /       BITNET:jonathan%cs.kl.ac.uk@ukacrl Department of Computer Science
   / _   __ other :jonathan@cs.keele.ac.uk     University of Keele, Keele,
(_/ (_) / / UUCP  :...!ukc!kl-cs!jonathan      Staffordshire.  ST5 5BG.  U.K.

chris@vision.UUCP (Chris Davies) (09/05/90)

In article <1213@vision.UUCP> I wrote,
>   Not only can't you use tcp/ip over JANET, but commercial sites (in my
>   experience) can't even use JANET as it stands - not even for real money.
>   So no NIFTP, etc.

In article <JIM.90Sep4195515@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk> jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim
Reid) replied:
>This is untrue. Commercial sites may use JANET provided they have good
>reasons for doing so, essentially collaboration with an academic site
>on a research project. JANET cannot be used for purely commercial
>traffic (shunting data between a company's offices - or two distinct
>commercial sites - in Exeter and Aberdeen say).

Sorry, I should have stated my point more clearly.  I was aware of this.  But
I think I'm correct in stating that a direct connection to JANET (as such) by
a commerical site is not permissible (and so all traffic must go through a
gateway - thus mail only, in effect).

>The rules are roughly
>similar to those for use of NSFnet: "free" government funded networks
>must not subsidise commercial traffic.

But if the commercial site(s) were to pay for their use of the government
funded networks, then I don't see why this shouldn't be acceptable.  With the
current situation, I would agree that commercial sites should not exploit
JANET for commercial gain.

Chris
-- 
VISIONWARE LTD         | UK: chris@vision.uucp     JANET: chris%vision.uucp@ukc
57 Cardigan Lane       | US: chris@vware.mn.org    OTHER: chris@vision.co.uk
LEEDS LS4 2LE          | BANGNET:  ...{backbone}!ukc!vision!chris
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-------------- "VisionWare:   The home of DOS/UNIX/X integration" --------------

briant@spider.co.uk (Brian Tompsett) (09/06/90)

In article <LMJM.90Sep3171440@oriona.doc.ic.ac.uk> lmjm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Lee McLoughlin) writes:
>Many comerical companies are on the US Internet and release
>patches, demo release and the like by making them available for
>anonymous ftp.  Don't companies over here want to do the same thing?

In article <1790@mcsun.eu.net> dfk@cwi.nl (Daniel Karrenberg) writes:
>So far not quite enough
>paying customers have surfaced to set up a separate organisation
>offering IP services in the UK.

 I made a specific proposal to set up an IP network in the UK based on
leased lines, dial-up slip and IP in X25 encapsulation over PSS. I made the
proposal in UKnet in uk.general about a year ago. We were aware that ukc,
as the gateway to eunet would need to be involved. We kept ukc and nsfnet-relay
informed. We offered to donate router kit to ukc to ensure that no additional
financial burden was felt by them in carrying IP traffic.

 No one was interested. I got a response from about 3 parties, all companies.
One of them has enough resources to make their own arrangement. No academics
even bothered too respond. I seemed many UK academics didn't even know what I
was talking about. The only reason they now do know now is they have been
playing with anonymous ftp from nsfnet-relay for the last year and are 
addicted to getting gif pictures. (see the file transfer Q at random intervals
to be convinced).

 Most of the other companies in the UK seemed to be happy with their dial up
uucp links. That was as sophisticed a WAN technology as they could deal with.
:-). The Department of Trade and Industry seems happy with that state of 
affairs too. With help from the JNT they are setting up a program to link some
UK industry to JANET using coloured book, and charging them an arm and a leg 
for it (see JFIT news Sept 1990, p4). This is the UK government proposal to
help UK companies compete in the world arena - allow them to talk to UK
universities using private software over private lines, instead of the
industry standard software and public data lines as they do at present!

 I see it this way. Current UK company sites are so dependent on the current
UKnet uucp setup that they are too scared to put their heads over the parapet
in case they lose the little connectivity they have. Ever tried criticising
the UK setup? They set Jim Reid on you. ( :-). A joke A joke.) The academic
sites are so dependent on their JNT and computer board funding for Comms kit
that they do what the're told.

 I'll say it again. We, Spider, as suppliers of TCP/IP Software, and TCP/IP
kit such as routers and bridges, are ready willing and able to get involved 
in IP networking in the UK. Connectivity to the greater Internet would be
a boon and asset. We would to do it yesterday. We think it would benefit 
the whole of the UK reasearch community and the Computer industry. Lets do
it. Our IP network numbers are registered and so is our network 14 number.
You can find our DTE in the book (RFC). Lets talk IP. Lets throw those uucp
modems in the trash.

 Brian.
-- 
Brian Tompsett. Spider System Ltd. Tel: 031 554 9424 E-mail:briant@uk.co.spider
Spider Park, Stanwell Street, Edinburgh, EH6 5NG. Fax: 031 554 0649
(Secretary, BCS Edinburgh Branch, 53 Bonaly Crescent, Edinburgh. 031 441 2210)

jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) (09/06/90)

In article <1216@vision.UUCP> chris@vision.UUCP (Chris Davies) writes:

   Sorry, I should have stated my point more clearly.  I was aware of
   this.  But I think I'm correct in stating that a direct connection
   to JANET (as such) by a commerical site is not permissible (and so
   all traffic must go through a gateway - thus mail only, in effect).

Yes and no.

A commercial site cannot get a direct connection, meaning an X.25 line
straight from a JANET switch. If the site already has PSS, they can use
Coloured Book protocols to make connections to JANET sites via one of
many JANET/PSS gateways*. These connections may be TS29 or X.29 for
terminal traffic or NIFTP for mail and news transfer or JTMP for
remote job entry.

[* Calling the box with a JANET and a PSS connection a gateway is a
bit misleading. It doesn't really perform protocol conversion (save
for minimal TS29/X.29 translation), so strictly speaking it's not a
gateway. It's more of a router, simply routing X.25 packets between
the two networks. However, Internet people call routers "gateways", so
if JANET was part of the Internet, the name would be correct!]

		Jim

J.Crowcroft@CS.UCL.AC.UK (Jon Crowcroft) (09/06/90)

 > I'll say it again. We, Spider, as suppliers of TCP/IP Software, and TCP/IP
 >kit such as routers and bridges, are ready willing and able to get involved 
 >in IP networking in the UK. Connectivity to the greater Internet would be
 >a boon and asset. We would to do it yesterday. We think it would benefit 

Brian,

 I'd be quite happy to do it for free, along with cambridge,
edinburgh and a few other quite large universities...however, there
are certain difficulties in terms of migrating a network the size of
the UK academic one (many users of which, contrary to your statement
do know what they'd get from the Internet protocol suite; but what
about what others lose, like do you,Spider, supply VM/MVS TCP/IP or VMS
NFS or VME X Windows, or COS SNMP? - i think not...)

 Altern[ea]tively, I think someone should do the cost estimates
to see if they could bid to replace the JNT on
the same budget, and run a UK Internet - or write a pursuasive case
that more money would provide more service (I'd do it but I dont have
spare profit to cycle back into R&D:-) if its so useful, btw, why dont
spider lease a line and sell off IP services to netcomm/case/york:-)

by the way, we, UCL are suppliers of a few modest
OSI applications, for free:-)

 jon

dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk (Matthew Farwell) (09/06/90)

In article <1940@jura.tcom.stc.co.uk> chris@htc2.UUCP (Chris Milton) writes:
>a. can you see academic sites wanting to shell out money they aint got
>   to modify up to internet ?

Sure they haven't got the money, but the JNT have a policy of sticking
to coloured books.

>b. can you see companies which aren't even on janet because it provides
>   security problems wanting to go onto internet?

It depends.  Companies who are terminally afraid of security problems
will never connect to a network like janet.  On the other hand, if
connecting up to a network directly, (esp. the internet for
international companies) reduces their costs substantially in terms of
mail, news etc., then they might be persuaded to do so.  I know this
particular company would love to be connected directly to janet, and I
suspect I know of a few others too.

Dylan.
-- 
Matthew J Farwell                 | Email: dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk
The IBM PC User Group, PO Box 360,|        dylan%ibmpcug.CO.UK@ukc
Harrow HA1 4LQ England            |        ...!uunet!ukc!ibmpcug.co.uk!dylan
Phone: +44 81-863-1191            | Winner 1989 Frank Zappa lookalike contest

grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham Thomas) (09/06/90)

From article <1216@vision.UUCP>, by chris@vision.UUCP (Chris Davies):
> 
> But if the commercial site(s) were to pay for their use of the government
> funded networks, then I don't see why this shouldn't be acceptable.  With the
> current situation, I would agree that commercial sites should not exploit
> JANET for commercial gain.
> 
> Chris

Now might be a good time to start lobbying, because the way JANET is
organised is probably going to change.  JNT head Bob Cooper wants to
set up something like a 'networking association' which would have both
academic and commercial membership.  There's a steering group just been
set up to work out the ground rules.  Details, with a list of steering
group members, are available in the latest issue of Network News.  If
you want a copy, mail JNT-Secretary@uk.ac.jnt (or @jnt.ac.uk, depending
on where you live.)

I have a feeling the TCP/IP question might get raised at the next round
of JANET user group meetings.  The next national user group meeting is
in the middle of October.  Most regional meetings take place a week or
two earlier.  It may be worthwhile finding out who your user rep is and
getting her/him to raise the topic at the next meeting.

Graham
-- 
Graham Thomas, SPRU, Mantell Building, U of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RF, UK
 JANET: grahamt@uk.ac.sussex.syma   BITNET: grahamt%syma.sussex.ac.uk@UKACRL
 INTERNET: grahamt%syma.sussex.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
 UUCP: grahamt%syma.sussex@ukc.uucp  PHONE: +44 273 686758  FAX: [..] 685865

smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) (09/07/90)

In article <1990Sep5.092510.22637@cs.city.ac.uk>, sb380@cs.city.ac.uk (Andy Holt) writes:
> Not only is the present Janet policy (coloured books instead of
> TCP/IP) isolating us from the rest of the world, but it looks
> like the ISO transition will do the same again:
> The JNT in its infinite wisdom (???) has mandated that the ISO
> profile used in the UK use TC0 (connection oriented transport
> service) while NBS in the USA is encouraging the use of TC4
> (connectionless transport service).

Without commenting on the wisdom (or the lack thereof) of JANET, the
real problem here is OSI.  They've designed a protocol stack with
mutually incompatible options, thus preventing communication between
parties who've made different decisions.  What's the point of a
standard that's incompatible with itself?

anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) (09/07/90)

Firstly remember that when Janet was first setup properly they were dealing
with a wacky array of bizzare processors, and also that then tcp/ip was abit
fof an experiment. Unfortunately they haven't woken up since. Also they have
a reasonable argument at the moment about relative efficiency of coloured
book and tcp/ip.
As to running tcp/ip over janet, any reason you couldn't run slip over a
coloured book terminal session ?

			Alan Cox

================================================================================
	This space intentionall left blank except for the words 'this space
	intentionally left blank except for the words ' this space....
====================================================<anarchy@uk.ac.ed.cs.tardis>
							^
							|
					Yep even janet mail addresses are
					backwards (sigh)
					

cjohnson@somni.wpd.sgi.com (Chris Johnson) (09/07/90)

> smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) writes:
>
> ...  What's the point of a
> standard that's incompatible with itself?

Entertainment?
	  cj*

mcc@WLV.IMSD.CONTEL.COM (Merton Campbell Crockett) (09/07/90)

And here thought that if one was connected to a tardis one would have the best
of all possible worlds.  Do you mean that PBS (USA) and Lionheart (BBC) or is
it ITC have been telling us lies all these years?  I mean with a tardis who 
needs TCP/IP, GOSIP, or whatever JNT claims their service is?  Which timeframe
are we talking about?

Merton

ggm@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au (George Michaelson) (09/07/90)

Jeez, this is getting boring.

More bullshit is talked about IP vs X.25, JANET vs Rest-of-the-world
than all the AI/Compsci debates strung end-to-end on a petrinet and
hung out to dry. Nobody with any sense give a DAMN. Religious warfare
is for celtic and rangers fans and the Jihad mob only. 

Saying IP will prevent OSI migration on JANET is a load of crap. 
There are more proto-OSI applications running over IP as virtual network 
layer than there are good CLNS or CONS based systems. It will SPEED UP 
OSI migration by getting applications into peoples hands BEFORE 
(yearsplus) the network and transport layers are in place.

Look: transports are only interesting to TS and NS level phreaks. nobody
else should or need be worried. fake it. it works.

JANET II backbone speeds can cope fine. ditto available IP tunnelling code
for X.25. Only problem is number of non-"real" IP subnets in use within
JANET. I bet there are not that many. IXI is going to cause enough problems
to make IP into JANET simple.

Yes, the reversed domain names will have to go (in some contexts). 
No, that does not destroy the fundamentals of the coloured books. 
I see no reason why existing users of blue book FTP, JTMP or PAD 
should have to stop, I dont even want them to. I just want to be
able to REACH them without crass work-arounds. 

Just give them the choice. I've used all three (CB, IP, OSI) and still
do. I dont see any reason to make my long term pro-OSI stance prevent
me using eg IP to do day-to-day work. I can't see what the fuss is about.

I bet 90% of all UK universities run BOTH in parallel internally already.

Aside from loss of face, I can see no reason for stopping IP on JANET. 
This is not 13th C Japan, Hari-Kiri by certain unnamed people who refuse 
to countenance JANET/IP will not be required. F'cryingoutloud they're
PUBLIC SERVANTS not lords and masters. SHOUT LOUDER! LOBBY! GET DRUNK!

Anyhow, if the rumour mill is up to its usually reliable tricks the
selfsame samuraii have caved in already and IP is on its way (from 
misery to happyness to day och aye etc etc ("the proclaimers" a band
from leith docks your daughters went wild over last year) but I digress)
JANET wide within 6 months.

Anybody taking bets?

Anybody counting how many "oooooh so naughty" IP tunnels already run?

Anybody asked PSI or any of the other commercial IP networks to cost
a service in the UK?

Stop fussing. in 10 years it'll seem a joke. Bayonet beat Edison Screw 
but lightbulbs are available in both forms in the shops worldwide, and
nobody knows how to change either.

	-George

-- 
	G.Michaelson
Internet: G.Michaelson@cc.uq.oz.au                     Phone: +61 7 377 4079
  Postal: George Michaelson, Prentice Computer Centre
          The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD Australia 4067. 

tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) (09/07/90)

In article <1990Sep6.142623.4559@ibmpcug.co.uk> dylan@ibmpcug.CO.UK (Matthew Farwell) writes:
>Sure they haven't got the money, but the JNT have a policy of sticking
>to coloured books.

	This raises the rather interesting question of who exactly the
JNT answer to. Every time I hear a discussion on this subject the cries
from the punters on the ground who actually use and run computers day-in
day-out is for TCP/IP. The JNT says Coloured Books and OSI. Seems to be
a bad case of the tail wagging the dog. Still can't complain. Coloured
books have been good to me :-)
		Tony

-- 
Tony Cunningham, Edinburgh University Computing Service. tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk

		If a man among you has no sin upon his hand
	    Let him throw a stone at me for playing in the band.

dfk@eu.net (Daniel Karrenberg) (09/07/90)

jonathan@cs.keele.ac.uk (Jonathan Knight) writes:

>From article <1990Sep4.164546@jatz.aarnet.edu.au>, by pte900@jatz.aarnet.edu.au (Peter Elford):

High time to put some of the *facts* right:

>Fortunately for us, the UKnet gateway isn't the only one.  UCL have
>a 56Kb link to the USA and offer a guest FTP service which allows us
>to transfer files to and from internet connected sites.  They also
>transfer our mail, and make no charge.  This is unlike UKC which
>charge for news, and mail, and they also advertise themselves as
>a valid route for uk mail.  

But if you are entitled to use the UCL gateway you can also register with
UKC free of charge to you. The JNT pays then. So go ahead and register.
Also remember tanstafl, links are never free, the taxpayer pays.

>This is a pain as they are trying to fit
>a full news feed and email down their 9600 baud line, when there
>is a no charge route for email down a 56kb line.  

There is no capacity problem on that line (yet) and an upgrade to 64kbit/s
has been ordered.  I know because I manage the "continental" end of it.
Also have you ever thought about mail to/from Europe
rather than the US? Doesn't it seem unfair to you that European sites
must ship their mail to you via the US on intercontinental links 
*they have to pay for* so that you can use your *free* link. 
That is what I call selfishness!

Incidentally the UCL link to the US is down as I write this.
Ever heared about redundancy? It would be nice to set things
up with multiple links so that things are redundant....


> There's also the
>problem that UKC advertise themselves as a forwarder for the ac.uk
>domain, when in fact they only forward mail to uknet members and drop
>everything else on the floor.  

Towards the Internet at large UKC does *not* advertise itself as
a mail forwarder for ac.uk apart from one single subdomain
(a commercial university as far as I know) which is
not entitled to use the UCL gateway. 

> UCL forward all ac.uk mail regardless of what they are members of.

Not true, see above.


-- 
Daniel Karrenberg                    Future Net:  <dfk@cwi.nl>
CWI, Amsterdam                        Oldie Net:  mcsun!dfk
The Netherlands          Because It's There Net:  DFK@MCVAX

mdb@anduin.cs.liverpool.ac.uk (09/07/90)

In article <1990Sep6.142623.4559@ibmpcug.co.uk>, dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk (Matthew Farwell) writes:
> 
>>b. can you see companies which aren't even on janet because it provides
>>   security problems wanting to go onto internet?
> 
> It depends.  Companies who are terminally afraid of security problems
> will never connect to a network like janet.  On the other hand, if
> connecting up to a network directly, (esp. the internet for
> international companies) reduces their costs substantially in terms of
> mail, news etc., then they might be persuaded to do so.  I know this
> particular company would love to be connected directly to janet, and I
> suspect I know of a few others too.
> 
There is of course no reason why "sensitive" computers should be connected
to the network at all.  Most Universities have computers which contain
information that they do not wish to become public, and hold it on
computers that are not Janet registered (or only for mail), and only
allow data transfer when it is controlled from the secure end. I believe
this is also how the military deal with their security problems.

Calling random addresses does not help, as it is relatively easy for
the secure machine to ignore all network calls that it is not expecting.
All this does not do a lot for the free interchange of information,
which is why the academic networks have proved so successful.
One of the major fears of increased commercial involvement in Janet
(apart from the obvious "political" ones already discussed)
is that companies' paranoia over University hackers will force
unwarrented general levels of security on all sites,
which will have an adverse effect on th whole ademic community.

It really is the responsibility of the host site management
to ensure that the internal and external security of its
computers is adequate for the purposes for which they are used.

Martin Beer,
Dept. of Computer Science,
University of Liverpool.

piet@cwi.nl (Piet Beertema) (09/07/90)

	>The JNT in its infinite wisdom (???) has mandated that the ISO
	>profile used in the UK use TC0 (connection oriented transport
	>service) while NBS in the USA is encouraging the use of TC4
	>(connectionless transport service).
	>Here we go again .....
That too is the same on most "national research networks"
in Europe. I expect the same scenario though as with IP:
a natural shift from the current IP to ISO CLNS, perhaps
with the exception of X.400 over CONS.


--
	Piet Beertema, CWI, Amsterdam	(piet@cwi.nl)

jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) (09/07/90)

In article <4847@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk> anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) writes:

   Firstly remember that when Janet was first setup properly they were dealing
   with a wacky array of bizzare processors, and also that then tcp/ip was abit
   fof an experiment. Unfortunately they haven't woken up since. Also they have
   a reasonable argument at the moment about relative efficiency of coloured
   book and tcp/ip.

Discussions on the relative efficiency of network protocols tend to
have an air of 'how many angels can dance on the head of a pin'
unreality. The Coloured Books may be "more efficient" over JANET when
compared with Internet protocols, but how can anyone sensibly compare
the two? It's like comparing apples and oranges.

First consider the network architectures. CB works on top of X.25
which more or less guarantees a reliable end to end connection.
Internet protocols were developed for networks which may drop packets
or deliver them out of sequence. [Let's also note that CB only offers
connection-oriented services. The Internet world can also provide
datagram and multicast.] Thus there's far more to the Internet's
transport service (TCP) than JANET's (which is practically
non-existant). TCP makes no assumptions about the underlying network
whereas JANET leaves nearly everything for X.25 to sort out. 

Now consider the network interface to the operating system. In most
cases, the network protocol processing is not the major part of the
system's overheads. Other factors like getting data to/from the
network interface, context switching and data copying are more
important. I would suggest that TCP/IP offers much less overhead than
X.25 here mainly because vendors will have invested much more effort
in improving TCP/IP since its usage is likely to be far more
widespread than X.25. [You cannot imagine Sun (say) expending the same
sort of development effort on CB as they have on TCP/IP.] In some
cases, this will happen automatically: almost all UNIX TCP/IP
implementations derive from the 4.3 BSD code which is highly tuned.
In terms of CPU cycles burned for a connection, X.25 probably needs
less than TCP, but X.25 will have a less well tuned interface to the
rest of the OS. The end result is that both require pretty much the
same amount of system resources.

Then, there's the relative merits of the higher-level protocols. In
terms of overheads, there's not much difference between NIFTP and FTP.
Both have strengths and weaknesses which tend to equalise things. FTP
loses out if network ports are a critical resource (they shouldn't be)
because it needs two connections; one for data transfer and one for
the interactive session. Likewise the number of CPU cycles needed for
an X.29/TS29 session won't be significantly different from those
needed by a telnet server. Don't forget that telnet is functionally
superior to X.29: it offers more for roughly the same overheads.

In short, determining the "more efficient" protocol depends on where
you measure it. Of course, you then have to weigh up the benefits (or
not) of efficiency with the functionality that the protocol offers.
Deciding that question is a matter of religion.

   As to running tcp/ip over janet, any reason you couldn't run slip over a
   coloured book terminal session ?

Yes. The JNT wouldn't like it. What you're proposing is not very
efficient: a better (and easier) option is to put IP datagrams inside
X.25 frames. That too would upset the JNT since you'd be running
something other than CB on JANET.

		Jim

richard@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) (09/07/90)

In article <4847@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk> anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) writes:
>Firstly remember that when Janet was first setup properly they were dealing
>with a wacky array of bizzare processors, and also that then tcp/ip was abit
>fof an experiment. 

Perhaps.  But it was an experiment that succeeded, unlike Janet.

>Also they have a reasonable argument at the moment about relative
>efficiency of coloured book and tcp/ip.

In terms of bits per second, Janet (and ISO) might win over TCP.  But
in terms of who's been able to use interactive ftp, I think it's clear
which has been more efficient over the last ten years.  The supporters
of this "efficiency" view have wasted hundreds of hours of my time.

I have been told that at least some of the Janet implementers were
unable to believe that interactive ftp was useful.  Their view was
that ftp was the canonical non-interactive task.  Anyone accustomed to
use of the Internet will realise how misguided this is, and how
seriously it has limited software-sharing in the UK.

Incidentally, as far as I can tell it's only the lack of a
list-directory primitive that makes it impossible to implement
interactive ftp using NIFTP.  And I believe the York code added such a
thing for the "hhtree" command.  So it could even have been done
without TCP.  It might even have been possible to provide a reasonable
NIFTP-FTP gateway to the US...

-- Richard
-- 
Richard Tobin,                       JANET: R.Tobin@uk.ac.ed             
AI Applications Institute,           ARPA:  R.Tobin%uk.ac.ed@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Edinburgh University.                UUCP:  ...!ukc!ed.ac.uk!R.Tobin

ercm20@castle.ed.ac.uk (Sam Wilson) (09/07/90)

In the absence of any response from any of my more competent colleagues,
here goes!

The JNT has set up an Advisory Group (known as the DOD Advisory Group -
not exactly accurate but can anyone provide a better generic term for
the entirely of the IP-related protocol set?).  We have met once and are
due to meet again on Sept 24.  Our (largely self imposed) remit is to
produce a paper recommending how the JNT might provide a fully supported
IP service in the UK.  Note that that does not say 'over JANET' or even
'over X.25', though in all probablility it would end up that way.  The
fact that we recommend anything to the JNT, or that they recommend
anything to whoever their masters might be by the time it gets that far,
of course provides no guarantee that anything will come of it, but the
JNT is aware and doing something. 

On a historical note: someone mentioned the bizarre hardware that used
to be (and in many cases still is) attached to JANET - the JNT's stance
on Coloured Book software ensured (very) good connectivity then and
still does.  The fact that TCP/IP may now have overtaken the Coloured
Book stuff shouldn't obscure that fact. 

On a futuristic note: one of the reasons why the JNT is plugging
connection oriented OSI network services (CONS) vs connectionless (CLNS,
does the tendency of its proponents to call it 'ISO IP' say anything
about *their* prejudices?) is that in the UK we already have a very
highly developed X.25 network.  Why waste what you've got? Europe is
still divided (after all, they effectively invented X.25) and I believe
the Japanese are now going for CONS.  The outlook is still not clear
cut. 


Sam Wilson
Network Services, Edinburgh University Computing Service

Disclaimer: the usual - not an official pronouncement!

richard@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) (09/07/90)

In article <JIM.90Sep6112404@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk> jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) writes:
>[* Calling the box with a JANET and a PSS connection a gateway is a
>bit misleading. It doesn't really perform protocol conversion (save
>for minimal TS29/X.29 translation), so strictly speaking it's not a
>gateway. It's more of a router, simply routing X.25 packets between
>the two networks.

Does this mean that it should be possible for a Janet site to connect
to an international PSS site using FTAM through one of these gateways?
If so, how can I do this with ISODE?

-- Richard
-- 
Richard Tobin,                       JANET: R.Tobin@uk.ac.ed             
AI Applications Institute,           ARPA:  R.Tobin%uk.ac.ed@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Edinburgh University.                UUCP:  ...!ukc!ed.ac.uk!R.Tobin

J.Crowcroft@CS.UCL.AC.UK (Jon Crowcroft) (09/07/90)

George,

 >I bet 90% of all UK universities run BOTH in parallel internally already.

about 78.3 % actually, the rest run DECNET more than colour boox.

 >Anybody taking bets?

no - its happening already...

 >Anybody counting how many "oooooh so naughty" IP tunnels already run?

actually, 6 known already to exist...

 >Anybody asked PSI or any of the other commercial IP networks to cost
 >a service in the UK?

yes, actually, imperial college london...me, and a few others...

 >Stop fussing. in 10 years it'll seem a joke. Bayonet beat Edison Screw 

in 10 years time, we'll be arguing over whether 53 bytes in the Wider
United States of Europe, or 47 in the Higher Definiton Televisual Empire of
the East were the best choice for ATM cell size:-)

but seriously, there is a lot of operational stuff to sort out, and
ripe people are the right people and are doing it - thats what a lot
of the temperature rising is about...

have patience, geo.

 jon

poole@chx400.switch.ch (Simon Poole) (09/08/90)

In article <3384@skye.ed.ac.uk> richard@aiai.UUCP (Richard Tobin) writes:
....
>In terms of bits per second, Janet (and ISO) might win over TCP.  But

Do you have any hard data that supports this? I have to yet see any
real (== measured) data from an operational network, that would allow
this conclusion. 

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
						Simon Poole
 poole@verw.switch.ch / poole@chx400.switch.ch / mcsun!chx400!poole
------------------------------------------------------------------------

braden@VENERA.ISI.EDU (09/08/90)

	From tcp-ip-RELAY@NIC.DDN.MIL Fri Sep  7 14:23:43 1990
	Date: 7 Sep 90 13:30:55 GMT
	From: mcsun!ukc!edcastle!ercm20@uunet.uu.net  (Sam Wilson)
	Organization: Edinburgh University Computing Service
	Subject: Re: Internet routing Europe - USA -} Europe...
	References: <1990Aug30.091435.1982@ircam.ircam.fr, <6190@vanuata.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, <LMJM.90Sep3171440@oriona.doc.ic.ac.uk>
	Sender: tcp-ip-relay@nic.ddn.mil
	To: tcp-ip@nic.ddn.mil

	In the absence of any response from any of my more competent colleagues,
	here goes!

	The JNT has set up an Advisory Group (known as the DOD Advisory Group -
	not exactly accurate but can anyone provide a better generic term for
	the entirely of the IP-related protocol set?).
	
We now call it the "Internet protocol suite".  The DoD abandoned it long
ago, and the rest of the world took it over.

	On a historical note: someone mentioned the bizarre hardware that used
	to be (and in many cases still is) attached to JANET - the JNT's stance
	on Coloured Book software ensured (very) good connectivity then and
	still does.  The fact that TCP/IP may now have overtaken the Coloured
	Book stuff shouldn't obscure that fact. 

Actually, this is a highly questionable view of history.  I worked at
UCL in 1981-82, when the forerunner of JANET was getting going (I wrote
the first terminal gateway at UCL, between the TCP/IP-based Satnet
connection and the JNT X.25 network).  I doubt that there was any stage
where the JNT-sponsored academic X.25 kit delivered better service than
TCP/IP was delivering to universities in the US.  The often-expressed
belief in this direction is basically, I believe, English chauvinism.
Well, all nations do it, so it can be forgiven; but please don't call
it history.

While we are at it, to call X.25 a European invention is another
revision of history.  X.25 was developed by Telenet under Larry
Roberts, after he left ARPA where he was largely responsible for the
development of the ARPAnet.  X.25 was considered to be a commercialized
version of the ARPAnet host-host protocol.
 

Bob Braden

keith@anduin.cs.liverpool.ac.uk (Keith Halewood) (09/08/90)

In article <JIM.90Sep7132657@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk>, jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) writes:
> 
> Yes. The JNT wouldn't like it. What you're proposing is not very
> efficient: a better (and easier) option is to put IP datagrams inside
> X.25 frames. That too would upset the JNT since you'd be running
> something other than CB on JANET.

The JNT appears to like the positively HUGE DECnet that exists over Janet and
probably beyond. Unless there is a double standard brewing, the JNT wouldn't be
in much of a 'moral' position to stop an IP over X25 service to the Internet
for any University or company willing to provide one.

Keith

dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk (Matthew Farwell) (09/09/90)

In article <3407@syma.sussex.ac.uk> grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham Thomas) writes:
>Now might be a good time to start lobbying, because the way JANET is
>organised is probably going to change.  JNT head Bob Cooper wants to
>set up something like a 'networking association' which would have both
>academic and commercial membership.  There's a steering group just been
>set up to work out the ground rules.  Details, with a list of steering
>group members, are available in the latest issue of Network News.  If
>you want a copy, mail JNT-Secretary@uk.ac.jnt (or @jnt.ac.uk, depending
>on where you live.)

I've done this. Could this be the start of something new + terrific +
exciting in the uk? Not if the JNT have anything to do with it.

>I have a feeling the TCP/IP question might get raised at the next round
>of JANET user group meetings.  The next national user group meeting is
>in the middle of October.  Most regional meetings take place a week or
>two earlier.  It may be worthwhile finding out who your user rep is and
>getting her/him to raise the topic at the next meeting.

How do find out this? Is it in the newsletter?

Dylan.
-- 
Matthew J Farwell                 | Email: dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk
The IBM PC User Group, PO Box 360,|        dylan%ibmpcug.CO.UK@ukc
Harrow HA1 4LQ England            |        ...!uunet!ukc!ibmpcug.co.uk!dylan
Phone: +44 81-863-1191            | Sun? Don't they make coffee machines?

Makey@Logicon.COM (Jeff Makey) (09/10/90)

In article <1990Sep7.112346.16949@anduin.cs.liverpool.ac.uk> mdb@anduin.cs.liverpool.ac.uk writes:
>There is of course no reason why "sensitive" computers should be connected
>to the network at all.

Nonsense.  "Sensitive" computers should be connected to networks for
the same reasons as other computers.  However, most computers with
sensitive information lack the proper access controls to allow them to
be connected to a network in a secure manner.  That's why
conscientious administrators of such systems choose to keep them
isolated.

                           :: Jeff Makey

Department of Tautological Pleonasms and Superfluous Redundancies Department
    Disclaimer: All opinions are strictly those of the author.
    Internet: Makey@Logicon.COM    UUCP: {nosc,ucsd}!logicon.com!Makey

keith@spider.co.uk (Keith Mitchell) (09/10/90)

In:

> Message-ID: <1990Sep7.052615.1896@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au>
> 
> hung out to dry. Nobody with any sense give a DAMN. Religious warfare
> is for celtic and rangers fans and the Jihad mob only.

George <G.Michaelson@cc.uq.oz.au> is right. Getting bogged down in
the relative merits of Coloured Book vs TCP/IP protocol stacks and
applications is a waste of time.  Until the glorious (?) day when
OSI is universal, there is room for all.

This is the approach taken in places like Australia and Scandanavia,
and I think it is very unfortunate that the UK does not take this
catholic approach to networking. Are we the only country in the world
where use of TCP/IP is *banned* on our national research network ?
Just because we drive on the left-hand side is not a reason for
outlawing non-right-hand drive vehicles from British roads.

Even though we want IP over JANET, this does not mean we want to
scrap the existing setup. This would be daft when Spider are vendors
of both Coloured Book and TCP/IP products. Desire for IP
connectivity comes not from the intrinsic properties of any
protocols, but from two practical details of their use:

- Then only way you can can application-transparent international
  connectivity NOW is to use TCP/IP.

- There are lot more people in the world using TCP/IP than Coloured books.

So, lets keep Coloured Books on JANET, fine. But can we get at the
existing international networking infrastructure too, please,
without having to use UUCP (commercial) or go through an overloaded
non-transparent gateway (academic). It's not like we aren't prepared
to pay our way - international communications are very important to
Spider's business, and many other UK firms too. All we want to do is
share the costs a bit. Seems that being prepared to do this ourselves
is the best thing we can do if the powers that be won't let us in.

Let's hope the JNT's "DoD" working group makes things happen in
months, rather than sometime. It's difficult for Spider to influence
the JNT when we are not members of JANET, but then it would be a lot
easier to justify the expense of joining if we got TCP/IP connectivity
as well. Setting up Coloured Book software on our own network when
everything else is TCP/IP is a hassle.

Talking about powers that be, UKUUG (who have UKC run UKNET for
them) have been very quiet about all this. Are we going to have to
set up a UKIPUG ?

What Brian says about hooking up now is serious. You want a pilot IP link
over the PDN, ask me. To prove how serious:

> Anybody asked PSI or any of the other commercial IP networks to cost
> a service in the UK?

I'm asking. I've already enquired of UUNET, would PSI or anyone else
care to comment ?

Disclaimer time - the above, of course, represents what I think
Spider policy should be rather than what it necessarily is.

Keith Mitchell

Spider Systems Ltd.             Spider Systems Inc.
Spider Park    		        12 New England Executive Park
Stanwell Street                 Burlington
Edinburgh, Scotland             MA 01803
Phone: +44 31-554 9424          +1 (617) 270-3510
Fax:   +44 31-554 0649

keith@spider.co.uk              keith%spider.co.uk@uunet.uu.net
...!uunet!ukc!spider!keith      zspz01%uk.ac.ed.castle@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk


P.S. (:-) As someone who lives and works in Leith, let me assure you
     "The Proclaimers" come not from here, but sunny Fife, just across the
     river.

sb380@cs.city.ac.uk (Andy Holt) (09/10/90)

Sorry, in my previous posting I incorrectly used the notation
TC0 and TC4 when I should have used TP0 (CONS) and TP4 (CLNS)
Further, this system - not my normal "home"  - gave an incorrect
"reply-to" line.


Andy

richard@aiai.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) (09/10/90)

>>In terms of bits per second, Janet (and ISO) might win over TCP.  But

>Do you have any hard data that supports this? 

Certainly not.  I have no idea whether it's true.  The point I was trying
to make was that *even if* it's true, I'd be better off with TCP.

-- Richard
-- 
Richard Tobin,                       JANET: R.Tobin@uk.ac.ed             
AI Applications Institute,           ARPA:  R.Tobin%uk.ac.ed@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Edinburgh University.                UUCP:  ...!ukc!ed.ac.uk!R.Tobin

J.Crowcroft@CS.UCL.AC.UK (Jon Crowcroft) (09/10/90)

 >Actually, this is a highly questionable view of history.  I worked at
 >UCL in 1981-82, when the forerunner of JANET was getting going (I wrote
 >the first terminal gateway at UCL, between the TCP/IP-based Satnet
 >connection and the JNT X.25 network).  I doubt that there was any stage
 >where the JNT-sponsored academic X.25 kit delivered better service than
 >TCP/IP was delivering to universities in the US.  The often-expressed

Bob,

 Several years ago, when the Internet was under the congestive collapse 
that was only saved by certain very clever people fixing TCP, I believe 
that JANET was offering a comparable service:-)

 The state of recent UK sadness can be seen from the continual
tired comparisons of FTP and NIFTP, ignorance of BFTP, failure to 
mention NFS, AFS, RFS etc; The 
non-existence of a networked window system in the UK; the absence of a 
remote execution (not job submission) protocol in colour book, the failure 
to design and install a decent distributed name service, etc etc;
the absurd problems of setting up 40 digit NSAPs for an X.25 on LAN
service, instead of using an elegant scheme like ARP (still waiting
for 10030)... the lack of a CONS routing scheme...

meanwhile, the Internet bounds ahead with full management, multi-media
conferencing experiments, the White Pages pilot and so on -

but hold! we are putting up X.[4|5]00 as pilot services, there is a
small bit of hope; we have a model for X Windows on OSI; someone is
working on FTAM file access regime in the kernel somewhere (i hope)

what has this to do with Europe? not a lot, but - well, I guess if NSF 
and the European countries carrying UK - Europe traffic on their leased 
lines started accounting and billing the JNT, they might effect a
change - ULCC (the actual UK-US gateway, *not* UCL) had some software
to do this...

of course, this is all modulo policy based routing and accounting
research.

 jon

pb@cl.cam.ac.uk (Piete Brooks) (09/10/90)

[ % = dfk@eu.net, > = pte900@jatz.aarnet.edu.au, * = pb@cl.cam.ac.uk ]
% High time to put some of the *facts* right:
> Fortunately for us, the UKnet gateway isn't the only one.  UCL have
> a 56Kb link to the USA and offer a guest FTP service which allows us
> to transfer files to and from internet connected sites.  They also
> transfer our mail, and make no charge.  This is unlike UKC which
> charge for news, and mail, and they also advertise themselves as
> a valid route for uk mail.
% But if you are entitled to use the UCL gateway you can also register with
% UKC free of charge to you. The JNT pays then. So go ahead and register.
% Also remember tanstafl, links are never free, the taxpayer pays.
* If you are keen on getting facts right, note that the above is not true.

* The gateway is NOT at UCL (University College London) but at ULCC
* (University of London Computer Centre)

* UK AC sites are split in two: Some are "CB" and others are not.
* The Computer Board will only pay the UKC charges of SOME sites.
* The best rule I have got for the horses mouths are that if the machine was
* bought by the CB, they'll pay the UKNET charges.
* This means that if two machines within our department (about 10 meters apart)
* both take news (as they may soon do) we will have to pay UKC twice -- one
* from the pockets of the department and once from the pocket of the CB.
* Smart people at ukc :-) !

* Note that links may not be free, but traffic may be !

% Also have you ever thought about mail to/from Europe rather than the US?
* What do we have IXI for ??  [ :-( ]

% Doesn't it seem unfair to you that European sites must ship their mail to
% you via the US on intercontinental links *they have to pay for* so that you
% can use your *free* link. That is what I call selfishness!
* No problem -- get European sites to call the UK    [ :-) ]

While I'm here, I shall point out that I get a lot higher bandwidth fetching
a file from the states or europe directly to my workstation (using FTAM over
JANET to a (free to me) FTAM/ftp gateway) than I do from UCL (using NIFTP).

cudep@warwick.ac.uk (Ian Dickinson) (09/11/90)

In article <6190@castle.ed.ac.uk> tjc@castle.ed.ac.uk (A J Cunningham) writes:
>	This raises the rather interesting question of who exactly the
>JNT answer to. Every time I hear a discussion on this subject the cries
>from the punters on the ground who actually use and run computers day-in
>day-out is for TCP/IP. The JNT says Coloured Books and OSI. Seems to be
>a bad case of the tail wagging the dog. Still can't complain. Coloured
>books have been good to me :-)

The JNT don't answer to the users - they're civil servants.

I don't really give a toss what we run, so long as it works reliably
and lets us interconnect.  OSI may do this eventually.  Maybe not.
But it's a hell of a lot better than DECNet.

Ciao,
--
\/ato.  Ian Dickinson.    GNU's not got BSE.      Cut Cerebus some slack!
vato@cu.warwick.ac.uk          Plinth.          
vato@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk        Sabeq.         
gdd046@cck.cov.ac.uk                          "Nuke me tender, nuke me good!"

cudep@warwick.ac.uk (Ian Dickinson) (09/11/90)

In article <3384@skye.ed.ac.uk> richard@aiai.UUCP (Richard Tobin) writes:
>In terms of bits per second, Janet (and ISO) might win over TCP.  But
>in terms of who's been able to use interactive ftp, I think it's clear
>which has been more efficient over the last ten years.  The supporters
>of this "efficiency" view have wasted hundreds of hours of my time.

There's an interactive ftam with isode, including ftam-ftp converters
for both directions (internet ftp btw.)  Just because CB doesn't have it,
doesn't mean that OSI won't.  All we need now is a fast implementation
or a good excuse to just use IP.  1/2 :-)

Cheers,
--
\/ato.  Ian Dickinson.    GNU's not got BSE.      Cut Cerebus some slack!
vato@cu.warwick.ac.uk          Plinth.          
vato@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk        Sabeq.         
gdd046@cck.cov.ac.uk                          "Nuke me tender, nuke me good!"

trevor@trevan.uucp (09/11/90)

Please can anyone tell me:

1) Are there any sites in the other than UCL which have an Internet connection
   to the USA.

2) Are there any sites in Europe or the USA which are willing to provide a
   connection by Trailblazer, ISDN or X25.

3) Anyone interested in setting up a domain in the UK.

4) Are there any problems with using dialup connections or do we
   need a backbone of private wires. 

			regards trevor
						trevor@trevan.co.uk

-- 
				regards trevor
						trevor@trevan.co.uk

gih900@sao.aarnet.edu.au (Geoff Huston) (09/11/90)

In article <13713@ulysses.att.com>, smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) writes:
> In article <1990Sep5.092510.22637@cs.city.ac.uk>, sb380@cs.city.ac.uk (Andy Holt) writes:
>> The JNT in its infinite wisdom (???) has mandated that the ISO
>> profile used in the UK use TC0 (connection oriented transport
>> service) while NBS in the USA is encouraging the use of TC4
>> (connectionless transport service).
> 
> Without commenting on the wisdom (or the lack thereof) of JANET, the
> real problem here is OSI.  They've designed a protocol stack with
> mutually incompatible options, thus preventing communication between
> parties who've made different decisions.  What's the point of a
> standard that's incompatible with itself?

A lot - If the people who go to ISO standards meetings get paid by the hour
then there's at least another two decades of employment in store for them in
attempting to come to grips with the astonishingly large mess that they're
creating.

(I was about to wack in a smiley until I realized that its no joke)

Geoff Huston

anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) (09/12/90)

In article <JIM.90Sep7132657@baird.cs.strath.ac.uk> jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid) writes:
>>
>>  As to running tcp/ip over janet, any reason you couldn't run slip over a
>>   coloured book terminal session ?
>>
>Yes. The JNT wouldn't like it. What you're proposing is not very
>efficient: a better (and easier) option is to put IP datagrams inside
>X.25 frames. That too would upset the JNT since you'd be running
>something other than CB on JANET.
>
>		Jim
Oh dear.. does that mean they don't like people running kermit over janet
lines, after all kermit is a file transfer protocol and it's not in the
coloured books (not even the yellow and purple spotty one 8-)), does seem
to be a certain amount of a red tape factory running here. Maybe the planned
shakeup of the steering committes of janet is a good thing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everything is hereby disclaimed.. if a superbeing can give me this for a working
universe, then I can give him back buggy software too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sb380@cs.city.ac.uk (Andy Holt) (09/13/90)

In article <4862@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk> anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) writes:
>Oh dear.. does that mean they don't like people running kermit over janet
>lines, after all kermit is a file transfer protocol and it's not in the
>coloured books (not even the yellow and purple spotty one 8-)), does seem
>to be a certain amount of a red tape factory running here. Maybe the planned
>shakeup of the steering committes of janet is a good thing.
>
Technically they don't! Mentioning Kermit at a Networkshop was a good way
to get very black looks from JNT members (just like TCP/IP). The standard 
joke was "if it works and is a **de facto** standard, it is clearly
unacceptable".
Of course though the frog is the only viable file transfer protocol for
some brain-damaged mainframes, newer (also de-facto) standards like
zmodem give much better performance over phone lines.

Andy

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I like to have lots of standards so I can choose which ones to abuse"

cur022@zodiac.ukc.ac.uk (Bob Eager) (09/13/90)

In article <4862@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk>, anarchy@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk (Alan Cox) writes:
> Oh dear.. does that mean they don't like people running kermit over janet
> lines, after all kermit is a file transfer protocol and it's not in the
> coloured books (not even the yellow and purple spotty one 8-)),

Actually, they don't like it! Kermit is like a red rag to a bull as far as
the JNT are concerned....
---------------------+-----------------------------------------------------
Bob Eager            | University of Kent at Canterbury
rde@ukc.ac.uk        | +44 227 764000 ext 7589
---------------------+-----------------------------------------------------
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