Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!sgi!vjs@rhyolite.wpd.sgi.com
From: vjs@rhyolite.wpd.sgi.com (Vernon Schryver)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Using an SGI as a ethernet gateway
Summary: yes
Message-ID: <100146@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: 28 Apr 91 07:04:18 GMT
References: <52053@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Sender: guest@sgi.sgi.com
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 22

In article <52053@nigel.ee.udel.edu>, sflynn@udel.edu (Steven J Flynn) writes:
> 
> Question:  Can any of these
> ...
> act as and ethernet gateway?

All IRIS's from the venerable IRIS-3000 thru all currently shipping 4D's
can have at least one extra ethernet interface and can forward IP just
fine.  Some can have 9 or more ethernet interfaces.  (Such a configuration
is not likely to make any sense.)  The vast majority of the ethernet
routers among the Silicon Graphics ~80 ethernets are now and have always
been IRIS's.  You can get pretty close to dedicated router performance if
you put enough CPU power in the box.  Nevertheless, when I last asked, I
was told we do not have any ambitions in the router market.

It would be interesting if some disinterested third party could compile a
workstation-as-router scorecard, considering Suns, Apollos, Nexts, MIPS,
IRIS',s DEC VAX and 3100's, DG's, Convex, Cray, CDC, PC-clone's, etc, etc.
I have few ideas how all of those might rank.


Vernon Schryver,   vjs@sgi.com