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From: gordon@FTP.COM (Gordon Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: idea on easy wide-area networking.
Message-ID: <9105151314.AA05725@ftp.com>
Date: 15 May 91 13:14:54 GMT
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Reply-To: gordon@ftp.com
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    From: sbi!zeuswtc!aristotle!picard.sbi.com!eric@uunet.uu.net  (Eric Ho)
    Subject: idea on easy wide-area networking.

    Just wondering if there're ethernet/modem vendors out there that are
    planning to make boxes that would take ip packets off a regular phone line
    e.g. it'll be nice if telebit modem have thick ethernet connectors in
    addition to RS232 connectors. This also means that the modem will need to
    handle SLIP/PPP well between what is flowing on the phone line and what is
    going on in its builtin ethernet card.
    
Telebit just so happens to be moving in the direction you suggest, but 
they are taking it one step at a time.  They recently developed and
released a product called NetBlazer which routes ethernet/SLIP/PPP,
(supports MULTIPLE ports and also incoming/outgoing terminal service).

For now the modems are outboard, I would project that it is only a 
matter of time before they release a version with internal modems, 
and then onward to further refinements, towards the ideal "black box"
you propose.  They have a sensible product strategy worth looking into.

Hope this helps,

== Gordon Lee                 FTP Software Inc
== voice: (617) 246-0900      26 Princess St
== fax:   (617) 245-7943      Wakefield, MA  01880