Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!proteon.com!jas
From: jas@proteon.com (John A. Shriver)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.proteon
Subject: In search of FDDI ...
Message-ID: <8905302058.AA01220@monk.proteon.com>
Date: 30 May 89 20:58:26 GMT
References: <32000@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31

Well, normally I try and answer messages offline, but clearly a lot of
confusion has arisen here.  I will do my best to be non-commercial,
but it's almost impossible to answer these questions and do so.

ProNET-80 is what we sell today.  It is not FDDI.  Part of the FDDI
technology is based on ProNET-80, but other parts are not.  FDDI was
designed by a committee, of which we were only one member.  ProNET-80
does use the same fiber (type, size, wavelength) as FDDI.  I suspect
this is what gets confused with FDDI.

We are developing FDDI support for the p4200.  We have not "announced"
a product.  We do not announce products prematurely.  To quote from
the May 22, 1989 PC Week:

	"...Proteon is developing the p4200 interface for the
	partially defined FDDI, but will not release a product
	until the product is fully tested and defined..."

Like any potential FDDI vendor, we have to wait for the FDDI SMT
standard to develop.  We are active on that committee as well.

Oh yes, later in the article they dropped a zero from the price (no
way am I mentioning the price on the Internet).  The field offices
have prices and policies.

On other questions, FDDI is 100 megabits, over fiber only.  The only
media option currently under consideration is an option for using
laser transmitters instead of LEDs (more distance).  There are other
standards groups looking at the next generation of speed.  The next
generation of FDDI may well focus on even higher levels of
fault-tolerance (the miltary).