Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!engvax.scg.hac.COM!BALAMUT%OLYMPS
From: BALAMUT%OLYMPS@engvax.scg.hac.COM ("Morris Balamut - The Dungeon Master  513-5829", 213)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: 254 node limit on ethernet problem (clarified)
Message-ID: <8803211809.AA13259@scgvaxd.SCG.HAC.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 88 00:28:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 44

I recently received the following answer to my request for help/information
to solve a problem of a growing number of Macs on ethernet. 

>From: morganr@SDSC.BITNET
>Subject: Getting Loads Of Mac's On Ethernet
>
>I thought that using Appletalk zones was the solution.  Have you checked
>with Kinetics 415-947-0998 or Pacer Software 617-898-3300 (Bill Gill)?


Apparently I did not make the problem clear and I appologize. 

We are faced with a growing number of Macs that want to connect DIRECTLY
to the ethernet. You CAN NOT run multiple zones over the ethernet. This 
results in a limit of 254 devices that can be connected to the ethernet
and run appletalk.

This would be fine if the only devices were Kinetics Faspaths or
equivalent. Unfortunately many of the users want to be able to
run DECnet and Appletalk. This REQUIRES that the Mac be directly
connected to the ethernet. 

We are currently investigating numerous solutions both hardware
and software. Until we have a final solution we have adapted
a policy of restricting the Macs from connecting to the backbone
ethernet. This is NOT satisfacory (for anyone).

If anyone has any experience with this and can make some suggestions
please do so. 

I am sure that this problem is not limited to our organization. I will
be happy to collect the responses and produce a summary for the list.
I think this will be information that many people will be interested in.
In addition I will keep you advised of our progress.

Morris Balamut                    balamut@olymps.hac.com
Network Support Group             balamut%olymps.hac.com@oberon.usc.edu
Hughes Aircraft                   mbalamut@ecla.usc.edu

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Disclaimer: The preceeding represents additional random hallucinations of my 
	    fertile imagination and may not reflect the opinions of my boss 
	    or my boss's boss.