Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!fluke!norm
From: norm@tc.fluke.COM (Norm Seethoff)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Remote MAC level bridges
Message-ID: <3561@fluke.COM>
Date: 26 Apr 88 15:51:40 GMT
Sender: news@tc.fluke.COM
Lines: 35
Keywords: MAC level bridge


Our Facilities Department's passion to move people into separate buildings
continues.  We are now faced with the need to extend our engineering Ethernet
to a new building.

Options we have considered:

1)  get the Facilities manager fired:
	We can't.  He reports to a different Division.

2)  install more Vitalink TranLAN bridges with T-1 lines:
	We'd prefer not to, though it is a fallback solution.

3)  install remote repeaters connected by optical fiber:
	Possible, but not likely.  Optical cable would have to be provided
	by a local utility company already having right of way.  We enjoy
	dealing with the local telephone company almost as much as 
	restoring large filesystems.

4)  install a higher speed MAC level remote bridge with a digital radio link:
	This is our first choice solution.  We do have an unobstructed
	line-of-sight path to the new building.  So far we only know about one
	product, the "MetroWave Bridge" from the brand D company.  Are there
	other remote bridge products on the market for use with link speeds
	higher than T-1 rates?  Our choice is probably limited to protocol
	insensitive bridges.  What types of digital radios are people using?

On a related note, would anyone care to suggest a local bridge product for use
in place of DEC's Lanbridge 100?

If I receive any responses other than sympathy, I'll post a summary in a week.

Norm Seethoff			norm@tc.fluke.COM
Technical Computing		206-356-5054
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.