Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!pacbell.com!ames!bionet!agate!ucbvax!ccci.UUCP!tcs
From: tcs@ccci.UUCP (Terry Slattery)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: PPP on STREAMS
Message-ID: <9101131946.AA28696@ccci>
Date: 13 Jan 91 19:46:42 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 37

> On the dim side, PPP is very new, so not all of its advantages are
> exploited by the implementations currently available.

While PPP solves some of the SLIP problems and is blessed with RFC status,
there is still a problem with *real* multi-vendor support.  I cannot get a
vendor supported, dial-up, serial link protocol for interconnecting
workstations, routers, and terminal servers.  When I asked vendors at
Interop about PPP, many shrugged it off.  There wasn't even the vague "We're
working on it" that was heard about OSPF, Frame Relay, and all the other new
stuff.  No-one is interested in SLIP support due to the problems already
mentioned on this list, and I agree with them.

Besides the use of connecting remote workstations to central sites, there is
a real need to build backup connections for diagnosing and working around
WAN link failures.  A few places can afford to purchase switched 56K
service, but most perfer to live with one circuit, and rely on some method
of accessing the remote equipment when this one link dies.  Multiple dial-up
links could be brought up to replace the failed link if the OSPF or IGRP
routing protocol support of multi-path were used.

One of the problems is that FDDI, Frame Relay, OSPF, and all the new stuff
is 'sexy' and is getting the majority of the resources at workstation and
router vendors.  Until enough customers start asking for PPP, they will
continue to put it on the back burner.

I don't recall ever hearing about a PPP interoperability test.  Perhaps
Interop should consider setting up a demonstration of PPP at its next
conference?

Consider this my vote for vendors to support PPP in their products.

        -tcs

Terry Slattery
Chesapeake Computer Consultants, Inc.           Network and Unix Consulting
2816 Southaven Drive                            (301) 970-8076
Annapolis, MD  21401