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From: HUNEYCUTT%GUNTER-ADAM@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: LANs and IP/TCP
Message-ID: <15853@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Jan-84 22:20:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15853
Posted: Sat Jan 21 22:20:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jan-84 05:49:11 EST
Lines: 40

From:  Doug  <HUNEYCUTT@GUNTER-ADAM>

I'm looking for some general feedback, both from the university and
personal micro users and from government-oriented users.

I've been looking at the general networking environment for several
years now, most recently dealing closely with the government office
environment.  We've been told by the Management that, at least for the
Air Force, TCP/IP is the only networking protocol that will be
allowed, acquired, and supported.

Actually, TCP/IP is probably a very fine protocol for the multi-path,
long- haul packet-switched system of ARPANet/DDN.  However, at first
glance it seems a bit bulky for the local-area coax/fibre type
network.  Can anyone tell me:

  1)  Do any LANs currently support TCP/IP (base or broadband)?
  2)  If a LAN supports TCP/IP, does any micro hooked to it (as a server,
      not just a terminal) have to support the high-powered packages
      like FTP, TN, MM, etc???
  3)  Does anybody realistically expect a 5MHz 8088 in a single-tasking
      environment to handle this kind of comm?

It seems to me that LANs are just beginning to be offered with the
kind of support software that makes the idea attractive to the public.
The EtherNet (at least 3Com's implementation) is advertised to support
shared resource capability, mail, and other utilities that bring the
paperless office idea almost into grasp.  Forcing the TCP/IP issue,
when the military is the only one using it, puts us even further
behind the general industry.

I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions/experiences/FLAMES/etc.  I've
been seeing net addresses for a few years now that appear to originate
at a LAN site connected to an ARPANet host.....this may be a way
around the problem (TCP/IP on the gateway, whatever on the LAN).  If
you'd like to reply, please include the word LAN in the subject
line; I'm on about 5 mailing lists and I like to sort out things on
subject.  Sorry for the length, but confusion breeds wordiness.

Doug