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From: sjs@eros.network.com (Steve Senum)
Newsgroups: alt.sys.sun,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Cabletron Repeater Problems
Message-ID: <1991Jun7.200603.9378@ns.network.com>
Date: 7 Jun 91 20:06:03 GMT
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In article <1991May31.015914.7054@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> rmilner@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Ruth Milner) writes:
>About a month ago I posted a query about experience with Auspex NFS servers,
>and promised a summary. Apologies for the delay, here it is.

[Much text deleted]

>From: jfd@octelb.octel.com (John F. Detke)
>Organization: Octel Communications Inc., Milpitas Ca.

[More text deleted]

>It handles the routing fine (heavy traffic on the backbone, and bursts from 
>the 3/80 network to the backbone during compiles). The only major "problem" we
>have had is that it is too fast. We have Cabletron 10baseT equipment, and have
>3 repeaters in the loop (MT8000, MMAC's) and the Auspex complains sometimes
>about "late collisions" and no carrier. Several Cabletron upgrades later and 
>this only happens a few time a week. Auspex real follows the 9.6 msec packet 
>spacing (not 9.61, 6 packets bursts at 9.6).

[New text follows]

Our site has a number of Cabletron MMAC-8s, IRMs (and IRM2s), and THIN-MIMs.
We also have a Auxpex NS/5000 server, and have had a *lot* of problems with
the Cabletron repeaters dropping packets.  We noticed this problem last
October, and have been trying to get a fix for the problem since then.
We are getting closer to a solution, but I can't believe how really awful
Cabletron's tech support department is.  All they seem capable of doing
is telling us their equipment can't be the problem (it is).  We have also
seen this problem with Cabletron FR3000 fiber repeaters, and their 8 port
thinwire repeaters.  If you have a fast machine (the Auspex NS/5000 is not
the only machine that can send frames with minimum spacing), and Cabletron
equipment, you are likey to have this problem.

I would be interested to hear from other sites that have seen a problem
like this with Cabletron equipment.

Steve Senum, sjs@network.com