Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL!w8sdz
From: w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (Keith Petersen)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: PCroute 2.0 ($800 IP router) now available
Message-ID: <8910112152KP@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Date: 12 Aug 89 03:52:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 56

This file is now available from SIMTEL20 as pd1:<msdos.network>PCROUT20.ARC.

--Keith

[--forwarded message (somewhat edited for brevity)--]
From: morrison@accuvax.nwu.edu  (Vance Morrison )
Organization: Northwestern Univ. Evanston, Il.
Subject: PCroute 2.0 ($800 IP router) now available
To: tcp-ip@NIC.DDN.MIL

Well, at long last, PCroute2.0 is available.  Version 2.0 is a big
step forward for PCroute.  In particular SLIP support has now been
added.  For those unfamiliar with PCroute here is a short description.

Vance

----------------------------------------------------------------


            PCROUTE - an IP routing program from the IBM PC
                             Vance Morrison
                        morrison@accuvax.nwu.edu

    Traditionally IP routers have been fairly high performance,
expensive machines.  Typically they run about $5000-$10,000 a unit.
Until now a IP router for under $5000 was just about impossible
to get.  Recent developments in PC hardware, however, has made
it possible to convert a PC to an IP router for a TOTAL of $800
a unit.  This price is less that the cost of many ethernet boards
and thus it now makes sense to always use dedicated router to
perform IP gatewaying functions.  

---------------------------------------------------------------------
What is PCroute?

    PCroute is software written for an PC/XT (or AT) or clone that will 
allow it to act as a IP router.   At present the following interfaces
are supported.

        Ethernet - (WD8003E card) (recommeded no more than 4 interfaces)
        Starlan  - (WD8003S card) (up to 6 interfaces)
        Localtalk - (Apple localtalk card for the PC) (1 interface max)
        SLIP      - (COM1..COM4)  (2 interfaces max)

   One of the most common configuration for the router is as an
ethernet-ethernet router, but this is not the only configuration possible.
The software supports up to 6 interfaces of varying types, so many
many configurations are possible.  Exact details on what is possible
is explained in the installation/compilation manual

   In addition to the XT, the only other hardware needed are the
networking cards, which at present run about $225 a piece (for ethernet).  
Since you can buy an XT (10Mhz, without an monitor) for $350, the total
cost for the hardware is $800

--end forwarded message--