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From: jbvb@FTP.COM (James B. Van Bokkelen)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Token Ring ARPs
Message-ID: <9104081538.AA02242@ftp.com>
Date: 8 Apr 91 15:38:39 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: jbvb@ftp.com
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31


    The research community has been pushing for all MAC addresses carried
    as data in communication protocols to always be in cannonical format.

I don't think this is the "research community".  Instead, I think it is
primarily commercial companies which "believe" in multi-media "bridges"
instead of "routers".
    
    I'm curious as to if and when this might have an effect on products in
    the marketplace.  I believe there is a large installed base that uses
    the RFC1042 style ARPs where the MAC addresses are in wire order.

The proposal I've seen makes it necessary to supply all new 802.5 IP
software with a "new/old bit order" configuration switch, and upgrade
all existing IP  hosts on your ring before it can be set to "new" on any
of them.  A truly Herculean support hassle, given how much 802.5 is out
there working the old way (IBM, FTP Software, Proteon, cisco, Wellfleet,
3Com, Woolongong etc.).

    Are there any products out there that use cannonical order?

No; I've seen a couple of beta test releases that have reached the field
in ignorance of the true state of the world, but it gets fixed quite quickly
once the vendor understands about the installed base.

    Are there any coming?  Does anyone have any other information?

I don't know of any, barring accidents of the sort I mention above.

James B. VanBokkelen		26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA  01880
FTP Software Inc.		voice: (617) 246-0900  fax: (617) 246-0901