Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!petunia!jdudeck From: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Re: FDDI as a network backbone Message-ID: <284bd7a7.2723@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU> Date: 4 Jun 91 18:10:47 GMT References: Sender: news@petunia.CalPoly.EDU (Newsman) Distribution: comp Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407 Lines: 30 In an article hargrove@bee.corp.sgi.com (Mark Hargrove) wrote: >I've recently heard it alleged that using FDDI technology as a network >backbone (as a way of aggregating multiple ethernets) would be a >disaster. Further, I was told that FDDI is a very fragile technology, >not suitable for production networks, not really suitable for much >at all outside the lab -- and probably never would be. > >Does anybody with actual experience with running a large, production >network that includes FDDI as an important part of the transport have >a concurring or dissenting opinion about this? I've got some >very important decisions facing me, and I don't want to do the >wrong thing. Well, I know that here at Cal Poly they are using FDDI as the campus backbone between various buildings, linking ethernets and other stuff together. It isn't all in place yet, but at least several of the ethernets are on it. I'm not really aware of whatever operational problems they have encountered, but it mostly seemed to be related to setting up routing tables in the Cisco routers at the FDDI nodes. I remember reading about some phone company in a city (don't remember which one) which is using FDDI in a city-wide network to provide connectivity to some big users. I realize I'm not speaking from my own experience. But I have never heard about FDDI being unsuitable for a backbone application. Where did you hear this? -- John Dudeck "You can only push jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu simplicity so far." ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549 -- AT&T promotional brochure