Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!anise!pst
From: pst@anise.acc.com (Paul Traina)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Ethernet Bridge Recommendation?
Message-ID: <950@anise.acc.com>
Date: 20 Jul 89 05:30:41 GMT
References: <2951@sharkey.cc.umich.edu>
Organization: Advanced Computer Communications, Santa Barbara, CA
Lines: 40

baw@sharkey.cc.umich.edu (Brian Wolfe) writes:
>So far I've looked at bridges from Micom, Raycom, Retix and DEC, are there
>any other vendors that I should try?

[WARNING:  I am slightly biased toward this company!]

You are about to read a semi-plug,  the info contained within is not
sanctioned by anyone of any responsibility at ACC.  Cavet emptor.

Advanced Computer Communications makes two lines of bridges,  one is called
the 4030 and the other is the 4110.  The 4110 just had first-customer-ship
last week.  I'm not a member of the Bridge & Router group,  but I have heard
them say all sorts of really nice things about it (and we're not talking
marketing BS either).

I do know the 4110 standard configuration is 1 ethernet link and 2 serial
links (HDLC I believe).  The serial links can clock up to T1 and pass data
up to (don't quote me) 1.3mbits/sec.  I don't know what the filter rate
and flow rate are,  but they're supposedly pretty damn fast.

I do know that it supports all of the wonderful filtering/priority gizmos
that you would expect on a brand new bridge.  It is controllable by a
SNMP (simple network management protocol) station,  and uses STP (spanning
tree protocol) for proper negotiation.  I don't know if the current release
supports transparent spanning protocol (TSP?),  but it may.

The same bridge can be turned into a router or brouter (products not being
shipped yet) just by dropping a new floppy into it.  There is also an
8-link version of the box ready to ship (it's actually 4 4110's glued
together and stuffed in the same box).

Since I only know about dribs and drabs (it is not my baby),  if you want
more (and accurate) info, drop a note to Gary Krall (gary@salt.acc.com), 
or Paul Shrieve (paul@salt.acc.com).
who are the marketing guys who know what is going on.

-- 
    "Calling people sexist because they are into S/M is like calling
     people capitalist because they like to play Monopoly(TM)."
			    -- `Ask Aunt Sadie' / the Ministry of Truth