Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!GUNTER-ADAM.ARPA!Link
From: Link@GUNTER-ADAM.ARPA
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Net Nums and Gateways
Message-ID: <8804090520.AA07195@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 5 Apr 88 16:16:52 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 47


	I'm getting the legwork started to connect 42 local area 
(802.3) networks up to the MILNET and have run into a hitch.  
A single Class B network would have ample address space for the 
hosts on all 42; however, each of my networks is geographically 
separated.  I could request Class C networks, but several of my nets
will have more than the allowed 254 (256) hosts. 

	Sue at the NIC (HOSTMASTER) sent me INTERNET-NUMBER-TEMPLATE.TXT,
which is the application for net numbers and referenced me to RFC 950, 
the Subnetting procedures.  Neither of these really answer my questions;
the template strongly recommends subnetting if you have multiple lans and
more than a 100 hosts and RFC 950 discusses that subnetting.  All good
information, in fact we will be running local subnets at most locations 
(all those that have more than a single baseband segment) and will use
a local bit mask on the bridges.  My problem is we'll have 42 separate
connections (gateways) to the MILNET and it's my understanding that I
can't break up a Class B (or any class net, for that matter) network 
into subnets across the DDN.

	Because of the reasoning shown above, I'm planning on requesting
a block of 42 Class B network numbers.  I realize that Class C would 
suffice for many of my nets, but allowing for growth, most of them should
exceed the address space of a Class C net in a fairly short time.  Of
course if I've made some glaring error in reasoning (like not knowing of
a graceful way to cram more than 256 hosts into an 8-bit address space)
feel free to flame me.  Otherwise, I'd appreciate any pointers anybody
out there can give me; I like pats on the back too...

	I'm also looking for the gateways to connect all these lans to
the MILNET.  I know a few vendors, but know someone would be upset if
they didn't get a copy of our IFB and they had a product that satisfy
the requirement.

	Please address all replies directly to me; I might miss them in
filtering through the rest of the TCP-IP mail.  I'll summarize for the
world.  Thanks.



  |====================================================================|
  |  Link Verstegen                Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI)       |
  |  Lead Hardware Engineer        4350 Will Rogers Parkway, Suite 100 |
  |                                Oklahoma City, OK  73064            |
  |  Link@Gunter-Adam.ARPA         (405)942-8884                       |
  |====================================================================|

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