Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!LCS.MIT.EDU!MAP From: MAP@LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael A. Patton) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: Router interoperability Message-ID: <8910181843.AA23496@gaak.LCS.MIT.EDU> Date: 18 Oct 89 18:43:32 GMT References: <89Oct17.165048edt.57354@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 38 Date: Tue, 17 Oct 89 17:42:00 EDT From: I have a (perhaps naive) question about the interoperability of routers: This question is not really naive, in fact there is a real deep understanding of "compatability" involved. We want to join Ethernet LANs in two different cities with a 56kbps sync line. The LANs run a variety of protocols such as XNS, TCP/IP, Decnet. We want to use routers at each end of the line. Do the two routers have to be from the same manufacturer? If so, why? One of the routers is a Cisco box but the other could be Proteon or some other make (or does it have to be a Cisco?). The simple answer is that TODAY the two gateways at opposite ends of a serial line have to be from the same company. Presently the framing used on serial lines by the various gateways is different. There are a few standards for this, but they aren't comprehensive enough. Each vendor had some feature or facility they needed to support which did not fit and they each developed a framing system independantly. This means the framing is not compatible. There is presently a Working Group within the IETF (the Point-to-Point Protocol [PPP] WG) which is addressing this problem and it should be issuing an RFC RSN. Drew Perkins gave a presentation on the protocol at InterOp '89. When this gets finalized all (most?) of the gateway vendors will be implementing it so that you can mix them as you describe, but it won't be possible before then. __ /| /| /| \ Michael A. Patton, Network Manager / | / | /_|__/ Laboratory for Computer Science / |/ |/ |atton Massachusetts Institute of Technology Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are a figment of the phosphor on your screen and do not represent the views of MIT, LCS, or MAP. :-)