Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att-cb!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!orc.olivetti.COM!roode
From: roode@orc.olivetti.COM (David Roode)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: bad press for NSFNET
Message-ID: <8804160645.AA03767@orc.olivetti.com>
Date: 16 Apr 88 06:45:30 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 12

The April 1988 issue of Data Communications magazine on p. 78 has an
entry called "Kludgey NSF RT-based network?"  It says it turns out
each NSFNET T1 backbone switch will consist of from 3 to 9 RT's linked
via a token ring.  Local campuses will interface to one of the RT's
via Ethernet and backbone trunks will be handled by multiple RT's.  A
dedicated RT will handle routing.

The article then goes on to quote an unnamed 'key university network
manager' who bemoans the 115 amps of current the switch will consume
and the 32,500 BTU/h of cooling required.  The article says power
consumption was confirmed by the NSFnet operators, but says they
referred the issue of heat dissipation to IBM.