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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

2211.0. "MTU setting for DEFPA on NT" by ACISS2::DATZMAN (Vee Vont To Pomp You Up) Fri Jan 31 1997 10:14

    I need to ensure that the MTU is set to 1500 for the DFFI card in a
    Alpha 4000 5/400.  The FDDI card is a DEC DEFPA.  The operating system
    is Windows NT 3.51.
    
    How can I determine this and if I have to change the setting how would
    I do this?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dick
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2211.1see 2205.*NETCAD::ROLKEThe FDDI Genome ProjectFri Jan 31 1997 10:324
Visit your registry...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current\Services\<devicename>\Parameters\TCPIP\MTU

2211.2NETCAD::STEFANIFri Jan 31 1997 13:4316
>>
>>Visit your registry...
>>
>>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current\Services\<devicename>\Parameters\TCPIP\MTU

That registry keyword is only useful in lowering the MTU for TCP/IP.  If you
want to lower the MTU size for the entire FDDI interface (regardless of
protocol), you need to add the MaxFrameSize keyword in

...\Services\Defpa?\Parameters\MaxFrameSize

Go under Control Panel\Network Settings, highlight the FDDI adapter, then
select Configure.  Once the dialog box pops up, select Help which will bring up
the Help screens for the driver which documents this and other keywords.

- Larry
2211.3some additional questionsACISS2::DATZMANVee Vont To Pomp You UpFri Jan 31 1997 14:5815
    I looked in the registry and saw that these keys (MTU and MaxFrameSize)
    do not exist and if I wish to set them I assume I would need to create 
    the key.
    
    Is MaxFrameSize the same as MTU?  Is the registry keyword case
    sensitive I decide to add it?
    
    I am investigating the reason my customer wants to do this.  I think
    they want to set it to 1500 because that is the Ethernet size and they
    exchange some data between FDDI rings using Ethernet.  Assuming this is
    so, should this be a problem for the customer?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dick
2211.4MTU Discovery on NT?ACISS2::DATZMANVee Vont To Pomp You UpFri Jan 31 1997 15:115
    Also, does NT support the MTU discovery Protocol?  I will also post in
    the Windows-Nt conference.
    
    Dick
    
2211.5NETCAD::STEFANIMon Feb 03 1997 09:3943
>>    I looked in the registry and saw that these keys (MTU and MaxFrameSize)
>>    do not exist and if I wish to set them I assume I would need to create 
>>    the key.

Yes, that's true.  You select Add Value, enter the name, type, and the initial
value in decimal or hex.

>>    Is MaxFrameSize the same as MTU?

No.  MaxFrameSize is a DEFEA/DEFPA driver-specific key which directly impacts
the maximum frame size value that the driver presents to NDIS during driver
initialization.  That's why I mentioned that MaxFrameSize impacts ALL network
protocols running on that driver since it's setting the maximum frame size for
the interface at the NDIS layer.

MTU is a TCP/IP-specific key which is LAN driver independent.  It sets the MTU
size at the protocol layer, not the NDIS layer, so you could lower the MTU for
TCP/IP yet allow a different MTU size for NetBEUI, IPX, etc.

>>  Is the registry keyword case sensitive I decide to add it?

I believe the answer is yes.  I would certainly add the keyword as written.

>>    I am investigating the reason my customer wants to do this.  I think
>>    they want to set it to 1500 because that is the Ethernet size and they
>>    exchange some data between FDDI rings using Ethernet.  Assuming this is
>>    so, should this be a problem for the customer?

Again, if the customer is only using TCP/IP, or only worried about the MTU size
over TCP/IP, use the MTU setting.  If they want to lower the MTU size for the
entire FDDI interface, use the MaxFrameSize setting.

To be honest, only in rare cases does the MaxFrameSize or MTU setting need to
be used.  Most FDDI-Ethernet bridges support IP fragmentation, so larger than
Ethernet-sized packets destined to the Ethernet network is not a problem.  As
for the other protocols, they usually negotiate packet sizes across an
FDDI-Ethernet bridged network so that lowering the packet size at the FDDI
interface is not necessary.

Above all, get your customer configuration working, but let them know the
consequences of these Registry additions.

- Larry
2211.6Thanks!ACISS2::DATZMANVee Vont To Pomp You UpMon Feb 03 1997 20:291