mag%WLBR@WLV.IMSD.CONTEL.COM (Margaret Wahl) (02/22/90)
Subject: IP routers
We are interested in adding an IP router to our existing network. Currently,
we have a Class C (255 addresses) network, but will have to add another Class C
subnet shortly. We will be running the new Class C network on the same cable
as the old Class C network, thus no need for a bridge/router today. We are
investigating various methods. Does anyone have any experience with the
following methods? Comments/Suggestions?
1. Use our gateway machine (Vax 11/750, Berkeley 4.3) as the router. Add
more memory to handle the load.
2. Use a 286 or 386 PC with PCROUTE (a public domain program) - An IP routing
program for the IBM PC. (available from Vance Morrison, Northwestern U.)
3. Use a Cisco, Proteon or Wellfleet router.
Thanks in advance. Please send email replies to mag%wlbr@wlv.imsd.contel.com.
Maggie Wahl
mag%wlbr@wlv.imsd.contel.comdlj@proteon.com (Daniel L. Jones) (03/01/90)
Instead of overloading a host with the communciations
processing of an ever expanding network, dedicate a network device
to handle the job.
All three router companies that were mentioned, make good products.
But Proteon has specific advantages: Support for OSPF, a
dynamic (IGP) routing protocol, which is standardized. Support for a high
speed backbone, Pronet-80, which will migrate to FDDI. BTW, Proteon's FDDI
board just passed AMD interoperability testing.
In addition, Proteon Routers can interconnect Token Ring, Ethernet,
X.25 (PDN & DDN) and Serial Communications (up to T1). Proteon's
software can forward multiple protocols, which include: IP, IPX (Netware),
DECnet, XNS & Appletalk. Proteon's OverVIEW SNMP Network Manager can
monitor the Routers and Hosts on the network from a central location.
For more information, contact our sales office at (508) 898-2800.
Dan Jones
Proteon Customer Servicerichardt@Legato.COM (03/01/90)
Was this blatant advertisement really appropriate for this forum? RichardT
mep@aqua.whoi.edu (Michael E. Pare) (03/01/90)
The key to all this is how much!! The routers (item 3) are good but are expensive. If your traffic will be light and you only have the one network this may be overkill. A PC running router software may be a better cost implementation. You'll have to make the cost justification. Bon chance!!
dlj@proteon.com (Daniel L. Jones) (03/02/90)
Proteon has a low-end router, which is PC based that is less expensive and perfect for small networks. Dan Jones
jdarcy@pinocchio.encore.com (Jeff "spackle-man" d'Arcy) (03/05/90)
dlj@proteon.com (Daniel L. Jones): > All three router companies that were mentioned, make good products. > But Proteon has specific advantages: > [product hype deleted] I'm sure you're trying to help your company by spreading the word about their products, and it may even be possible that the marketing division appreciates your attempt to reduce printing costs by using the net to distribute their copy. However, your PR department is probably not too pleased because such postings give the impression that Proteon is hiring rude high-pressure salesmen to work in customer service. Postings of the "yeah, we have one of those" class are generally regarded as OK, but this sort of "we're better than them and here's some buzzwords to convince you" posting is inappropriate. Jeff d'Arcy OS/Network Software Engineer jdarcy@encore.com DISCLAIMER: I don't represent Encore any more than you do
oberman@rogue.llnl.gov (Oberman, Kevin) (03/05/90)
In article <9002281630.AA23536@sonny.proteon.com>, dlj@proteon.com (Daniel L. Jones) writes... > > Instead of overloading a host with the communciations >processing of an ever expanding network, dedicate a network device >to handle the job. > All three router companies that were mentioned, make good products. >But Proteon has specific advantages: [Sales pitch for Proteon omitted.] I'm not really fond of seeing this list used for blatant advertizing, so I'll have to put in my $0.02. I am currently involved in the selection of a "standard" router for our Laboratory network and havbe spent a lot of time looking at the various available products. ALL have some significant advantages and I don't think Proteon's are anything overwhelming. If you are planning to aquire any router type product, I suggest that you look at the analysis of routers done by Scott Bradner at Harvard. He ran some (admittedly) less than comprehensive tests on Proteon, cisco, NSC, and Wellfleet boxes and the numbers were eye opening. I'm not including any of the results of the tests as I feel that without a proper explanation of the methodology used and the inclusion of most, if not all of the numbers generated in the testing, any references would be unfairly out of context. But I think I can say that Proteon would not be likely to include this report in their sales literature. Speed is far from the only (or even the most significant) critereon for the selection of a router, but it is one of the more important if one is planned for a busy network link. Other things to worry about is the abiltiy of the router to handle all of the required protocols. On out LAN we support AppleTalk, DECnet, DOD IP, OSI, LAT, and IPX. The proper routing/bridging of all of these protocols is very significant if your net uses them. If I had the numbers of the sales reps for cisco and Wellfleet, I'd put them here, but I don't have them handy. So I'll just emphasize that you should be VERY careful in a router procurement. It may have drastic impact on your net for a ong time to come. And there are a lot of complex factors that have significant impact on what the "right" choice is for you. It's a lot more than just price and performance. And I have yet to find a "perfect" router. R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Internet: oberman@icdc.llnl.gov (415) 422-6955 Disclaimer: Don't take this too seriously. I just like to improve my typing and probably don't really know anything useful about anything.
sob@talcott.harvard.edu (Scott Bradner) (03/06/90)
fyi - the results of the "less than comprehensive" tests I did are on husc6.harvard.edu in pub/rtests. Scott