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Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!mot!fred
From: fred@mot.UUCP (Fred Christiansen)
Newsgroups: net.lan
Subject: Ethernet capabilities/limitations query
Message-ID: <464@mot.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Nov-85 14:43:29 EST
Article-I.D.: mot.464
Posted: Mon Nov 25 14:43:29 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 25-Nov-85 20:25:14 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ  85282
Lines: 21

to date, all Ethernet LAN's at this location have been modest:  2 or 3 systems
connected for some development project.  we're about to connect these up
to make a 15 node network.  several folk (don't laugh, now) are scared this
will already be saturation.  they're comparing it to a disk drive with a
10 Mbits/sec bandwidth and how many users it will support.  i've argued (from
gut feel) that the traffic patterns are totally different.

what i haven't said yet in these arguments is that 10 Mbits/sec is never
really reached in an Ethernet LAN.  real throughput seems to flatten out
out a much lower rate, like 3 or 4 Mbits/sec (my recall on what i've read
is a big foggy).  if i say that, it'll really frighten 'em.

could someone with genuine experience with TCP/IP or XNS LAN's tell me what
the practical number of nodes is on a LAN in an engineering organization?
also, can anyone point to papers/studies which discuss the experienced
throughput limitations of Ethernet?  thanks!
-- 
<< Generic disclaimer >>
Fred Christiansen ("Canajun, eh?") @ Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ
UUCP:  {seismo!terak, trwrb!flkvax, utzoo!mnetor, ihnp4, attunix}!mot!fred
ARPA:  oakhill!mot!fred@ut-sally.ARPA          "Families are Forever"