BILLY@VENERA.ISI.EDU ("Billy Brackenridge") (08/31/88)
I now have an on-line copy of the Microsoft / 3Comm Media ACcess (MAC) protocol specification. This specification is the Microsoft 3Comm proposed standard for low level networking under MS-DOS and OS/2. If you make any kind of network hardware for IBM-PC or AT machines or write transport layer protocols, you should look at this specification. This file can be obtained via FTP from VENERA.ISI.EDU with the path name pub/mac.txt. Log in with FTP user name ANONYMOUS and password GUEST. cd to the directory pub and retrieve the file. The file is 225K bytes long. No I won't mail it to you unless exceptional conditions warrant exceptional behavior. This version is dated 5/14/88. There are minor changes since the last version I distributed. Feel free to copy this document. Microsoft has assured me they are interested in the widest possible distribution. In the past networking code for the PC has been incompatible. The various TCP/IP packages have been unable to operate resident in a PC with the commercial proprietary network packages. If this standard is adopted by the industry, users should have a wider choice of interoperating protocol stacks and network hardware. I would like to assume that part of Microsoft's and 3Comm's motivation for publishing this specification is to get feedback from the network community. Unfortunately the specification has leaked out slowly and in a form that appears to be "take it of leave it". There have been many objections to portions of this specification. Like "The Last Temptation of Christ" many of those who cry the loudest haven't read or comprehended the specification. I have corresponded with others actually attempting to implement this specification who have serious reservations and suggestions for improvement. John Romkey will be running a PC special interest group session at Interop '88. Many people have expressed an interest in discussing this specification at that session. Everyone with whom I have corresponded has expressed an interest in seeing a Microsoft and/or 3Comm representative at Interop '88 who can answer technical questions about this specification. -------