chan@fibercom.com (Tammy Chan) (02/10/90)
New Transparent FDDI Bridge Sets Performance Record
with 500,000 Packet Per Second Filtering Rate
ROANOKE, VA--January 22, 1989--FiberCom today introduced a new
transparent FDDI Mac-Layer Bridge product line that provides a
filtering rate of 500,000 packets per second and a sustained
forwarding rate of 20,000 packets per second, which is up to 25
times faster filtering and 400% faster forwarding than what was
previously possible.
FiberCom's new RingMaster 7200 FDDI Bridge will be officially
unveiled at the Communications Networks (COMNET) Trade Show in
Washington, D.C. on February 5, 1990. RingMaster provides high
performance internetworking between FDDI and other networks
compatible with the IEEE 802 Standards, including IEEE 802.3
(CSMA/CD), 4 and 16 Mb/s token ring, and for the first time, FDDI-
to-FDDI Bridging. In addition, provisions are provided for mapping
the large installed base of non-standard Ethernets into IEEE 802
packets.
"With RingMaster internetworking, users can finally utilize the
true bandwidth potential of FDDI," said David Gallagher, Vice
President of Marketing at FiberCom. "Such real-time packet
processing enables RingMaster to handle heavily loaded networks
with a minimum of end-to-end delay."
"RingMaster is the first true multi-vendor high performance FDDI
Bridge," said, Dr. Albert Bender, Co-Founder and Chairman of
FiberCom. "We are totally committed to all networking standards.
Unlike existing proprietary encapsulation architecture products,
the RingMaster complies with both the ANSI FDDI Standard and the
draft IEEE 802.1d Mac-Layer transparent Bridge Standard." A
transparent Bridge provides not only a high speed backbone between
LANs, but also communications between subnet users and direct
connected FDDI stations, such as a high-end file server or a
network management station.
RingMaster is designed as a modular platform with front access,
plug-in circuit cards. For maximum cost effectiveness, the Bridge
supports up to four network interfaces (NIUs) of any type or mix.
This design allows a network to be reconfigured at any time by
simply adding or changing the appropriate NIUs.
In addition RingMaster 7200 is the first product in a family of
FDDI based internetworking and networking solutions that all share
the same hardware platform. The plug-in ability of future
enhancements and upgrades allows a user to grow and expand his
network with minimum cost impact.
Planned enhancement include remote bridges, routers, a wiring
concentrator for connecting single attached workstations and user
interfaces for connections from the wiring closet to the desk.
Management of the RingMaster product line is accomplished with
standards based Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP
agent software in each Bridge collects network management data such
as traffic statistics, configuration, data errors, and local or
remote diagnostics. This data is accessible through an RS-232 port
or across the network from any SNMP based network management
station
The RingMaster will begin shipping 2nd Quarter 1990 and is priced
at $15,000 per network interface for a fully populated Bridge.
Founded in 1982, the Roanoke, Virginia-based FiberCom is a leading
supplier of high performance fiber optic Local Area Networks. The
company, listed in the December issue of INC Magazine as one of the
nation's fastest growing private businesses, has created a host of
innovative products and system including WhisperNet, a high-
performance fiber optic LAN that is compatible with Ethernet, the
dominant local area network standard, and OptiChannel, an IBM
Channel Extender. FiberCom also provides communications solutions
for a broad range of government applications. Last year IBM
selected FiberCom to develop and manufacture an FDDI ring
concentrator for the Space Station Freedom.
Contact: David Gallagher
FiberCom, Inc.
(703) 342-6700
--
Tammy Chan PHONE: +1 703-342-6700, 800-423-1183
FiberCom, Inc. FAX: +1 703-342-5961
P.O. Box 11966 INTERNET: chan@fibercom.com
Roanoke, VA 24022-1966 UUCP: ...!uunet!fibercom!chan