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From: dana@thinman.cray.com (Dana Dawson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.sys.cisco
Subject: Re: cisco in general
Message-ID: <9106202200.AA08986@thinman.cray.com>
Date: 20 Jun 91 22:00:37 GMT
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In-Reply-To: <9106182319.AA01920@lfkw2.bgm.link.com>; from "David Cappello" at Jun 18, 91 7:19 pm
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> Hello all, I need some help and info.  We have a large network with about
> 11-14 different nets.  Our problem today is the fact that they are all
> bridged.  We need a router! we have about 600+ nodes and the bridges,
> well they work but not that well - sometimes. Ohh, we have a whole bunch
> of protocols TCP/IP, DEC, XNS, NBP, Ethertalk and IPX.  TCP/IP is what
> most of our traffic is on our nets.  We have 99.99% picked CISCO (AGS+)
> as the router to go with but I keep hearing.... how SLOW it gets when 
> you start to route the different protocols.  Is there any truth in this
> ???????  I have talked to CISCO and other vendors about this, now I would
> like to hear what the "real" world has to say.  We want to route 
> the 11-14 nets and then in the future go with an FDDI backbone with a 
> bunch of routers.
> 
> thanx
> David Cappello
> Network Administrator
> CAE-Link Fligh Corp.
> u4b08@bgm.link.com
> 

We have many (60 - 70) cisco routers, mostly AGS, but some AGS+, also running
several different protocols (most, if not all of the ones you've mentioned,
and perhaps a few you haven't), and we haven't noticed any of our routers
being slow.  We have some of our busier AGS routers run low on memory a few
times, but by reorganizing things a bit, we've gotten around those problems.
You shouldn't have any memory problems with and AGS+.  We are also running
a couple FDDI nets with several different vedors' gear, and the ciscos seem
as solid as any of them (meaning we've gone through similar amounts of
"growing pains" with the ciscos as with the other equipment as far as FDDI
is concerned).  If you were to decide on cisco, I doubt you would have any
regrets, and I'm sure you would be pleased with their support.

Dana J. Dawson
Manager, Internetworking Group
Cray Research, Inc.
(612) 683-3056
dana@cray.com