Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!hpindwa!raj
From: raj@hpindwa.HP.COM (Richard Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: subnetting on non-byte boundaries
Message-ID: <36540003@hpindwa.HP.COM>
Date: 14 Dec 89 18:56:41 GMT
References: <50277@srcsip.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Cupertino CA
Lines: 32

>
>     Worry 1.1:  The only examples in the manuals show subnetting on byte
>       boundaries.  Will a 6/10 (vs 8/8) bit-split really work?  (Context:
>       lots of Suns running 4.0.3;  VMS VAXen running CMU-TEK 6.4; some
>       random Apollos and HPs that we don't care about, much.)
>
>>          Here we have split ours with 4/12 since we have lots of
>>         terminal servers and wanted 4k addresses on one network.
>>         One of these logical subnets can thengo thru a router and
>>         change the mask on the otherside to 8/8. This way we can
>>         hace lots of small subnets and a few big ones. We have had
>>         no problem with devices such as the SUN's where you can set
>>         the mask at the bit level. However there are some machines
>>         (HP STARLAN on A HP-3000) for instance that won't support
>>         this since they simply ask what class you are when you
>>         install.  In it's case you must put it on the other side of
>>         a router that sets the mask to class C.

Don't care about the HP's?!!!! (Couldn't resist ;-)

Anyway, you shouldn't have to put that 3000 in the corner for much
longer, as subnets are being put into both MPE/V and MPE/XL - releases
for each should be comming 'real soon now' but i'm not supposed to
tell exactly when ;-(.  As to subnetting to byte boundaries with those
beasties, you'll be able to configure a subnetmask in a network's IP
screen using the dotted decimal notation without word/byte/nibble
restrictions.

rick jones
working to subvert 3000 networking from within ;-)

standard disclaimers and whatnot