ROsman%ASS%SwRI05@D15VS178A.SPACE.SWRI.EDU (10/22/90)
Have you considered the Xircom adapter. It uses a parallel port which isn't AT specifc. It is VERY low power and provides reasonable throughput. I know that there are drivers compatible with FTP software. I don't know about the Unix referenced. Oz (Rich Osman, WB0HUQ) INTERNET: Oz@SwRI.edu (512) 522-5050 (w); (512) 699-1302 (h, merciless machine) (512) 522-2572 (just the fax)
nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (10/26/90)
In article <9010221234.aa24473@louie.udel.edu> ROsman%ASS%SwRI05@D15VS178A.SPACE.SWRI.EDU writes:
Have you considered the Xircom adapter. It uses a parallel port
which isn't AT specifc. It is VERY low power and provides
reasonable throughput. I know that there are drivers compatible
with FTP software. I don't know about the Unix referenced.
Please don't buy Xircom's products. For a year, they distributed my software
in violation of the copyright. They show no remorse, and their basic
attitude is "yeah, we did it, and yeah, we feel *real* sorry for Russ".
If you're interested in a low power adapter, buy D-Link's:
USA UK International
D-Link Systems, Inc D-Link (U.K.) Ltd. Datex Systems, Inc.
5 Musick 23A lyttelton Rd 15-4, FL
Irvine, CA 92718 London, N2 0DN No. 1, Fu Hsing North Rd.
USA UK Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.rbourass@diana.cair.du.edu (Mr. Photography) (11/05/90)
In article <9010252113.AA14211@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> "aka NELSON@CLUTX.BITNET" <nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu> writes: >In article <9010221234.aa24473@louie.udel.edu> ROsman%ASS%SwRI05@D15VS178A.SPACE.SWRI.EDU writes: > > Have you considered the Xircom adapter. It uses a parallel port > which isn't AT specifc. It is VERY low power and provides > reasonable throughput. I know that there are drivers compatible > with FTP software. I don't know about the Unix referenced. > >Please don't buy Xircom's products. For a year, they distributed my software >in violation of the copyright. They show no remorse, and their basic >attitude is "yeah, we did it, and yeah, we feel *real* sorry for Russ". > >If you're interested in a low power adapter, buy D-Link's: (signature removed for space...) I don't know which software they were illegally distributing, but what they gave me has never worked. I have been trying for three months to get the XIRCOM adapter to work with FTP software's Generic ethernet packet interface. It has not worked since the day it was purchase. FTP tells me that they are aware of the problem and that is has to do with Xircom's packet driver being faulty. Xircom has given me the latest driver and it still locks up during any FTP transfers. When I asked Xircom to send me one of the old drivers while they worked out the problems with the new ones, they told me that the never had one that worked! How can they market these things to the FTP users if the software has never worked? Can anyone give me any more information on this subject? I have yet to get the thing to work without locking up during FTP sessions. I have tried many different machines as well as different adapters. The problem always leads back to the Xircom packet driver. Again, FTP has told me that they are aware of this problem. Does anyone actually have one of these things working with FTP software? Thanks to anyone for any comments... Please respond via Email if possible. Rich rbourass@udenva -- __ _
nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (11/06/90)
In article <1990Nov5.043029.9299@mercury.cair.du.edu> rbourass@diana.cair.du.edu (Mr. Photography) writes:
When I asked Xircom to send me one of the old drivers while they
worked out the problems with the new ones, they told me that the
never had one that worked!
Hmmm... They've been advertising that they have TCP/IP support.
Either they're not using a packet driver, or else they're guilty of
false advertising.
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) FAX 315-268-7600
It's better to get mugged than to live a life of fear -- Freeman Dyson
I joined the League for Programming Freedom, and I hope you'll join too.jbvb@FTP.COM ("James B. Van Bokkelen") (11/06/90)
..... I have been trying for three months to get the XIRCOM adapter to
work with FTP software's Generic ethernet packet interface. It has not
worked since the day it was purchase. FTP tells me that they are aware
of the problem and that is has to do with Xircom's packet driver being
faulty. Xircom has given me the latest driver and it still locks up
during any FTP transfers. When I asked Xircom to send me one of the old
drivers while they worked out the problems with the new ones, they told
me that the never had one that worked! How can they market these things
to the FTP users if the software has never worked?
It actually does work reasonably well when talking to canonical 4bsd Unix
host systems (I know, we have several Xircom widgets in-house). The problem
is that early versions of the Xircom Packet Driver cannot handle full-size
Ethernet packets (1500 bytes of data and 14 of header). There have been a
number of other drivers which have hit the streets with this problem, because
neither 4bsd Unix nor most of the freeware TCP/IP packages ever use packets
bigger than about 1100 bytes. PC/TCP will cheerfully request 1460-byte
TCP segments, and if the foreign host is willing (other copies of PC/TCP,
VMS systems and IBM mainframes are), away we go.
There is also a partial work-around: PC/TCP allows the TCP window to be
configured (with IPCONFIG). If you set the window to 1024 bytes on all
the Xircom-equipped PCs you have, this will limit the size of packets
sent to the PC, and all will be well on FTP 'get' commands, and 'put'
commands between pairs of PCs. If your problem is 'put' commands to
other hosts which ask for large segments, you'll have to get Xircom to
fix the driver (I don't know if the non-Clarkson driver, which first appeared
in early October, has the problem or not). At any rate, our support people
ought to have told you this. If they didn't, my apologies...
James B. VanBokkelen 26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA 01880
FTP Software Inc. voice: (617) 246-0900 fax: (617) 246-0901fks@FTP.COM (Frances Selkirk) (11/06/90)
The Xircom driver, historically, has not handled packets of 1514 bytes or more. You should be able to use any version of Xircom packet driver with our PC/TCP if you set your window size to 1400 bytes or less, provided the other side of your connection does not insist on an MSS of 1460. It is possible that the most recent version of the driver fixes this problem - I believe someone in technical support is testing it for you. Xircom is not unique in this problem. It has cropped up from time to time with other packet drivers. Incidently, we use in house all the drivers that companies send us for distribution. If we can't use it, we don't ship it. Frances Kirk Selkirk info@ftp.com (617) 246-0900 FTP Software, Inc. 26 Princess Street, Wakefield, MA 01880
geoff@bodleian.East.Sun.COM (Geoff Arnold @ Sun BOS - R.H. coast near the top) (11/09/90)
Quoth nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu (aka NELSON@CLUTX.BITNET) (in <NELSON.90Nov6004328@image.clarkson.edu>):
#In article <1990Nov5.043029.9299@mercury.cair.du.edu> rbourass@diana.cair.du.edu (Mr. Photography) writes:
#
# When I asked Xircom to send me one of the old drivers while they
# worked out the problems with the new ones, they told me that the
# never had one that worked!
#
#Hmmm... They've been advertising that they have TCP/IP support.
#Either they're not using a packet driver, or else they're guilty of
#false advertising.
They have a driver for PC-NFS, which I guess would count :-)
By the way, Russ, I've been wondering about your "Boycott Xircom"
thread. What in your view should Xircom do to make things right?
Whether or not their misuse of your driver was deliberate or merely
dumb (and I must confess that I would hesitate to trust almost any
interpretation of the GNU copyleft verbiage), is there any action which
they could take which would lead you to express yourself as satisfied
with the outcome? Or are they damned for all time? Maybe you posted
this, but I don't remember reading it.
Just curious.
-- Geoff Arnold, PC-NFS architect, Sun Microsystems. (geoff@East.Sun.COM) --
*** "Now is no time to speculate or hypothecate, but rather a time ***
*** for action, or at least not a time to rule it out, though not ***
*** necessarily a time to rule it in, either." - George Bush ***rbourass@DIANA.CAIR.DU.EDU ("Mr. Photography") (11/15/90)
Just wanted to say thanks for your response to my posting last week. I do appreciate knowing that you company is interested in communicating with its customers... Thanks again! Rich
herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (11/16/90)
In article <9011142342.AA22803@diana.cair.du.edu>, rbourass@DIANA.CAIR.DU.EDU ("Mr. Photography") writes: > Just wanted to say thanks for your response to my posting last week. > I do appreciate knowing that you company is interested in communicating > with its customers... > > Thanks again! > Rich This sounds like an endorsement and appreciation for something well done, but all of us onlookers have no idea who you are saying did good. dan herrick
fks@FTP.COM (Frances Selkirk) (11/16/90)
FYI - Xircom has fixed their Packet driver problem with large windows. New drivers are available from them.
rbourass@DIANA.CAIR.DU.EDU ("Mr. Photography") (11/16/90)
Thanks for the info!! Will try to get hold of the driver. Thanks again, Rich