lynch@isi-hobgoblin.ARPA (Dan Lynch) (04/08/86)
Tthere now exists an implementation of the Netbios interface that runs on top of TCP/IP for the IBM PC family. It comes from Excelan and also has the standard socket library interface so that one can run old applications and new Netbios based applications. One slick application of this is to have your D: device mapped to a shared disk via Netbios commands and then run FTP tom get a file from someplace in the universe of TCP land and the file actually ends up on the shared D: disk automagically. Tthe user never sees the fact that the file comes into the local PC (over the Etheernet) and then back out the Ethernet to the real place the disk is located via Netbios support software. I have seen this puppy run and it is very real. Looks like a way to merge old (and reliable) technology with new trends. Costs about a kilobuck including Excelan's smart Ethernet interface board.
dcrocker@ubvax.UUCP (Dave Crocker) (04/15/86)
In article <1186@isi-hobgoblin.ARPA> Dan Lynch writes: >There now exists an implementation of the Netbios interface >that runs on top of TCP/IP for the IBM PC family... The world grows ever richer with choice: Ungermann-Bass has an Intel 80186-based intelligent card, for the PC, which provides TCP/IP and Netbios, simultaneously. It can perform the sort of FTP-to-shared-remote-disk (say that quickly, 5 times) trick that Dan describes. The Netbios interface is faithful to the IBM specification AND will permit partial use of DDN domain names. Making this work turns out to be something of a game, since IBM limits names to 16 characters. To avoid complaints of inappropriate use of the medium for sales purposes, I will cut short this exposition, except to note that the card's performance is superb and the user also has access to data link, IP, and UDP interfaces. Dave
dts@cullvax.UUCP (Daniel T Senie) (04/17/86)
> There now exists an implementation of the Netbios interface > that runs on top of TCP/IP for the IBM PC family. It comes from > Excelan... Do you, or does anybody, know if they support any cards other than their own? I don't see why the would want to, but we have 3Com cards which we use in another application and would like them to run double-duty. -- Daniel T. Senie TEL.: (617) 329-7700 x3168 Cullinet Software, Inc. UUCP: seismo!mit-eddie!cullvax!dts 400 Blue Hill Drive ARPA: cullvax!dts@eddie.mit.edu Westwood, MA 02090-2198
dyer@harvard (04/26/86)
In article <471@ubvax.UUCP>, dcrocker@ubvax.UUCP (Dave Crocker) writes: > > Ungermann-Bass has an Intel 80186-based intelligent card, for the > PC, which provides TCP/IP and Netbios, simultaneously. On a completely non-technical level, but pretty important to a potential customer, is the kind of response you get when you call a company for information on a product which turns out to be in beta-test. I called both Excelan and Ungermann-Bass for information on their TCP/IP/netbios products for the PC. I was referred to the Boston office for U-B, but spoke to the folks on the west coast at Excelan directly. When I called the Boston U-B office and asked the sales woman about this card, there was a long pause... "Where...did...you...hear...about...this...?" I explained USENET news briefly. "Well, I can't give you any information on this; it's in beta test, and won't be available for sale for a while." I asked her if she had any idea when that would be. "Summer at the earliest." No offer to send more information, no more detailed schedule of delivery. Very abrupt. Who needs it? In contrast, the folks at Excelan were a marvel of helpfulness. I spoke to sales people who eventually routed me to a technical marketing rep who knew her networking issues inside-out, and provided me with all sorts of information on their product, pricing and when it would be available (like the U-B card, it's in beta-test right now.) Frankly, this kind of response makes all the difference in deciding between two options, especially if there isn't a substantive difference between the two in performance or reliability. -- /Steve Dyer dyer@harvard.harvard.edu harvard!dyer