[net.lan] proNET at CMU

erc@cmu-cs-h.ARPA (Eric Crane) (02/27/85)

Here at CMU we have been using Proteon's proNET for a little more
than a year.  We will soon have 7 Tops-20 systems, 8 Vax's of
different flavors (VMS or Unix, 750's or 78x's), and close to
100+ IBM PC's of various types (PC/XT/AT).  The networks span
4 buildings, and use fiber for the long runs.

All in all we have had few problems since we went into production
with the network.  Most of the ones we have had take the form of bad
solder connections.  We have also had some problems with IBM/PC
boards (p1300) being DOA, but these are repaired with few problems.

All in in all I have been happy with the network.  There are others
here who have not been so, but they have grown up with ethernet and
tend to be set in their ways.  Future plans here include bringing up
an implemetation for the SUN2 workstation done by Craig Partridge of
BBN Laboratories (craig@bbn-loki).

Another thing that we have been working on here is a 68K based
IP router.  The concept of this machine was to have an affordable box
that other departments here could use to connect to the university's
IP network.  The current implementation is still in testing, but it
uses th OMNIBYTE  OB68K1A board, proNET p1200, Interlan, and 3Com
multibus systems.  The end system will also support the Stanfod
SUMAX applebus interface for the Multibus.  The software is a port
of the CMU-Router code to the Multibus/OMNIBYTE enviorment, so it 
supports GGP, EGP, ICMP, and ARP.

- Eric R. Crane
  Carnegie-Mellon Univ
  Computation Center
  ARPA: Eric.Crane@CMU-CC-TE