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From: simon@masscomp.UUCP (Simon Rosenthal)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.masscomp
Subject: Re: ethernet bridge on masscomp
Message-ID: <3260@soma.bcm.tmc.edu>
Date: Tue, 10-Nov-87 16:41:46 EST
Article-I.D.: soma.3260
Posted: Tue Nov 10 16:41:46 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Nov-87 06:48:06 EST
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In-Reply-To: <3256@soma.bcm.tmc.edu>

Cc:


In article <3256@soma.bcm.tmc.edu> dan johnston (dan@soma.bcm.tmc.edu) writes
>
>We have an ethernet LAN in our laboratory consisting of 5 masscomps, 1 DEC
>LSI 11/23, and several PCs.  We would like to connect our LAN to 
>a similar but larger ethernet LAN at our institution (also running TCP/IP).
>We will need some kind of ethernet bridge or gateway in order to do this, and
>we would like to use one of our masscomps--a PEPed 5500--as this bridge or 
>gateway by running two ethernets from the same machine.  My questions are as 
>follows:
>
>1.  Our local sales rep (who is next to worthless on technical questions)
>    says that masscomp has software called "Dual Net" that will do this 
>    and allow us to run two ethernet boards in the same machine.  Has
>    anyone out there heard of this software or had any experience with it?
>    Better yet, has anyone tried to do what we are attempting?  If so, how
>    did you do it?


DualNet is NOT what you want. Its a redundant ethernet for use if
fail-safe communications capability is required.

>2.  As part of our PEP package we got a Lance chip on the MPU motherboard.
>    We also have a 201 board on this machine, which we are currently using 
>    for our ethernet.  Does anyone know whether we can use the Lance chip as
>    our second ethernet or do we need to get another 201 board for this 
>    machine?

>dan johnston (dan@soma.bcm.tmc.edu)
>baylor college of medicine

There will be no problem in running two network interfaces on the same
machine (We do it at Westford .) I think that you can use the Lance
chip and the Excelan Board, but you will need to run the Excelan board
using in-kernel protocols. I suspect that you'll chew up most of the
5500 cpu cycles with a heavy network load, but if that's all you
are going to use the machine for, then that shouldn't be a problem.
Masscomp does not officially support this configuration, however ...

- Simon Rosenthal
MASSCOMP Marketing Engineering
(Home for past MUS presidents )