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From: phil@BRL.MIL (Phil Dykstra)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re:  Serious Routing Problems
Message-ID: <9007300339.aa00505@SPARK.BRL.MIL>
Date: 30 Jul 90 07:39:51 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 33

My original note was sent to an internal list; I didn't expect to
see it here.  Nonetheless, it has led to some interesting discussion.

To Sergio, note that no one used the term "loop".  Mike called it a
"problem" which I agree is debatable.  JvNC did get the packets there,
which one comes to appreciate when they are stuck behind a Buttergate.
Thanks for the informative reply.  I am somewhat aware of JvNCnet's
design.  Given the number of hops, I have to wonder how well the Cisco
routing protocol is doing, but then I don't know the net topology.
[Is an on-line map available?  I would very much like to see one.]

Thanks to Dave and Hans-Werner for the update on the FIX-East connection.
It will be nice when that is back on line.  And yes, every route I have
traced through the NSFNET Backbone has taken a very logical route.  The
Merit folks are doing a good job.

As of late last week up to now, the route from MOFFET-FLD to MIT has
started going via FEBA-WEST over WIDEBAND to BBN to MIT - a few less
hops.  This is perhaps even better than a direct Princeton to NEARnet
link, for the west coast, but that new link will be nice.

From my perspective (the MILNET), the number one problem is with the
Mailbridges (the "M" word).  Routes still flop around, and when they
do, you can get temporary net unreachables (which of course break
connections).  Some routes are hard to keep open for even ten minutes.
We have had numerous complaints from our own users and people comming
in from "outside".  We used to complain about this periodically last
Fall (to DCA or the folks at BBN), and while we grew tired of complaining,
the problem remains.

Looking forward to switching over to our ASNET connection to the world.

- Phil