[comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc] Request for confirmation/comments on UB NDIS Spec

tony@scotty.dccs.upenn.edu (Anthony Olejnik) (01/26/91)

I just called Ungermann-Bass (we have a bunch of their smart ethernet 
cards in use here at UofP) regarding pricing and availability for their
TCP NDIS (Network Driver Interface Spec) driver.

I'm told its $395 (-15% edu discount = #335.75).  Can anyone confirm this?
This price is outrageous!!!!!

Due to the extreme lack of features of the existing UB TCP/IP for DOS
product, I'm looking for alternatives.  Since I already have made a
significant investment in the UB ethernet hardware, i'd like to try to
use other vendor's software (which have much more features and growth
potential) with the smart UB card.

From what I understand, the NDIS driver from UB will allow me to use
other vendor's software which also uses the NDIS spec. 

However, for ~$336 + <cost of other vendors's software>, it doesn't
seem worth it.  In fact, its cheaper to get an inexpensive Western
Digital board and throw away the smart Ungermann-Bass card (and bulky
transceiver cable and transceiver).

Can anyone confirm this price?
Does anyone have any comments?
Is anyone in my situation?  If so, what are you doing about it?

Any help would be *GREATLY* appreciated.

Thanks.

--Tony Olejnik
  Network Engineer
  University of Pennsylvania
  Data Communications and Computing Services
  3401 Walnut Street
  Suite 221A
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6228
  (215) 898-9408
  tony@scotty.dccs.upenn.edu

gts@MICA.BERKELEY.EDU (01/26/91)

= From pcip-request@louie.udel.edu Fri Jan 25 13:49:31 1991
= From: Anthony Olejnik <csus.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!scotty.dccs.upenn.edu!tony@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
= Organization: University of Pennsylvania
= 
= I just called Ungermann-Bass (we have a bunch of their smart ethernet cards
= in use here at UofP) regarding pricing and availability for their TCP NDIS
= (Network Driver Interface Spec) driver.  I'm told its $395 (-15% edu discount
= = #335.75).  Can anyone confirm this?  This price is outrageous!!!!!
= 
= Due to the extreme lack of features of the existing UB TCP/IP for DOS product,
= I'm looking for alternatives.  Since I already have made a significant
= investment in the UB ethernet hardware, i'd like to use other vendor's
= software (which have much more features and potential) with the smart UB card.

Yes, we are in a similar position.  It is really too bad, since the UB smart
card has been a net winner due to its small DOS memory usage in traditional
PC/XT/AT machines.  Also they have supported concurrent operation of multiple
TCP/UDP/IP and raw Ethernet sockets since the first release in 1986.  Other
vendors have just gotten around to this recently.

However, I had thought that the price was more like $ 50.00 similar to their
Novell drivers.   The $ 395.00 sounds more like the price of the entire NDIS
TCP/IP+applications package.  I have a call in to our sales rep to check this.

Gregory T Small                                      (415)642-5979
Personal Computer Networking & Communications        gts@violet.Berkeley.EDU
Workstation Support Services - Software Group        ucbvax!jade!gts
267 Evans Hall                                       SPGGTS@UCBCMSA.BITNET
University of California, Berkeley, Ca 94720

gts@MICA.BERKELEY.EDU (01/30/91)

= From pcip-request@louie.udel.edu Fri Jan 25 13:49:31 1991
= From: Anthony Olejnik <csus.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!scotty.dccs.upenn.edu!tony@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
= I just called Ungermann-Bass (we have a bunch of their smart ethernet cards
= in use here at UofP) regarding pricing and availability for their TCP NDIS
= (Network Driver Interface Spec) driver.  I'm told its $395(-15%edu = 335.75).

Our sales person said that this looks like a marketing/litterature problem. The
$ 395 price includes NDIS plus the full TCP-PC applications stack for NDIS.
The NDIS driver by itself is probably $ 50 but she has requested clarification
from marketing.

Gregory T Small                                      (415)642-5979
Personal Computer Networking & Communications        gts@violet.Berkeley.EDU
Workstation Support Services - Software Group        ucbvax!jade!gts
267 Evans Hall                                       SPGGTS@UCBCMSA.BITNET
University of California, Berkeley, Ca 94720