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From: tpmsph@ecsvax.UUCP (Thomas P. Morris)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: TCP/IP, Ethernet, Terminal Server Hardware
Message-ID: <3714@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Aug-87 10:10:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.3714
Posted: Mon Aug 17 10:10:57 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Aug-87 04:22:28 EDT
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 29

The University of North Carolina School of Public Health,
Division of Computing and Information Services, runs a 3-node
VAXcluster (8530, 2 750's), with interactive terminals and
remote printing being connected via DECserver 200's, with
interactive terminals being contended for via a Develcon Dataswitch.
(>300 accounts, 10 DS200's, 40 DZ-type ports, 16 print queues)

We're in the process of having new office, classroom and laboratory
space built, in which we plan to run an independent Ethernet to be
bridged/repeater-connected to our existing 500M Ethernet segment. We
expect to attach another 200-300 terminals and printers in the new
building, along with various ethernet (DECnet/ethernet) devices.

Now for the question: are there less-expensive alternative solutions
to Ethernet terminal servers than DECservers? DEC's "software" licensing
of DECservers is just killing us now, and with an additional 10-20
DS200's, would only get worse. (Having to pay an additional annual
maintenance cost ___per server___, rather than per load-host, is just
plain ridiculous!)

Are there TCP/IP--talking terminal servers available? Will they work
with the CMU/Tek or CMU or Wollongong TCP/IP packages? What type of
cost, service, reliability, transparency, etc, is involved?

Please post replies to tpmsph@ecsvax or tmorris@uncsphvx.bitnet. If 
there are enough replies, I'll post a summary to the net.

Tom Morris.
.