Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!ucbvax!TELESYS.NCSC.NAVY.MIL!mark
From: mark@TELESYS.NCSC.NAVY.MIL ("Mark L. Williams")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re:  MS-kermit using ethernet instead of COM ports?
Message-ID: <9104171312.AA02356@telesys.ncsc.navy.mil>
Date: 17 Apr 91 13:12:28 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 47

Andrew Chan writes...

>I hear that with some software from FTP it can be done, but what about
>if I cannot afford buying a copy?
>
>Is there any way at all that MS-kermit can utilize the ethernet?
>I see that kermit can set my port to a wide variety of things, including
>Novell, will IPXPKT.COM help in this case?
>
>I am asking for the purpose of "knowing more" :-)  We usually
>use NCSA Telnet or CUTCP for this purpose...

We run 3+Open TCP/IP with DPA on PCs at this time.  This package provides an
FTP client, a set of Network Maintenance Facilities (arp, ping, and netstat),
and a terminal emulator (i.e., telnet with a front end).  The front end uses
the Bridge Application Program Interface (BAPI) to communicate with the telnet
module.  BAPI and telnet are loaded as tsrs.  Any communications program that
can interface with BAPI can be used as a front end.  The 3Com product is 
called VT; the manual ((c) 3Com Corp 1989 and the source of the specifics
in this message) provides info for using other terminal emulators, like 
Reflection, Softerm, and SmarTerm.  You can use anything else that will, in
general, support interrupt-14 data passing.  MS-kermit will do that, so it
can be used as well.

Some observations:  there are very few products in the front-end category
that we've found that really meet our needs.  VT is very quick but its VT100
emulation is imperfect and its operation is cumbersome in some cases.  Kermit
is the same-old-same-old but SLOW (effective apparent rate maybe 1200-2400
baud).  Most terminal emulators that try sending/receiving just one byte
(or so) at a time just don't perform adequately, especially if your users use
applications that try to paint full screens often.  We are limping along with
VT and Kermit and a contractor-supplied product that fills in some VT
emulation and speed holes, but we're looking hard for something else with the
performance characteristics we would really like.  Reflections seems like a
good candidate in preliminary tests.

BTW, we are also considering changing TCP/IP packages.  Those of you familiar
with FTP Software's products will recognize that the array of products
included in the 3Com package is somewhat limited by comparison.

Mark L. Williams
Head, Telecommunications Branch
Code 7630
Naval Coastal Systems Center
Panama City, FL 32407-5000
(904)235-5153
(mark@telesys.ncsc.navy.mil)