Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

    
    No.
    
    The only one we have is the standalone repeater.

you gotta be kidding me...

so here we are, running CAT5 everywhere, buying DEChub 900's,
and we can't build a 100baseT network?

geesh, we (lot's of us) all assumed that if we ran CAT5 the repeaters
we would put in the 900's in our wiring closets to connect offices and
cubes would support 100baseT.

wild.

So what is the name of the stand alone repeaters?  Is there a plan to
do 100baseT on the 900's?  Is the constraint the 10mb segment on the
back plane?

What about the ethernet ports on the DECswitch 900, are those 100baseT?

What do you tell a customer that wants to build a 100baseT network?  What is
the recommended architecture usine Digital network gear?

thanks in advance,

-Stephen

    >What do you tell a customer that wants to build a 100baseT network? 
    >What is the recommended architecture usine Digital network gear?
     
    I went to the NPB web page, did a search on "Fast Ethernet",
    and got 40 hits on separate docs related to it. Among them 
    are descriptions on... EtherWORKS Hub 8TX, EtherWORKS Turbo PCI Network
    Interface Card (combo), etc. to name a few products.
    So there are answers to provide to a customer who's looking to start
    building a 100baseT network.
    The DECswitch 900 (EE, EF, TX I presume) ports you refer to aren't 
    100baseT.
    
    Bob

Good questions, all. I believe you are preaching to 
the choir, here.

The constraint is not in the backplane. We just 
need to come out with 100 mb products. I don't know what's
been announced, you will need to ask product management for 
a discussion of any futures. I understand the lack of 100mb products in 
this space is painfully apparent at even the highest levels.

btw, the ethernet ports on the DECswitch 900 are 10mb.


-Mike

Well, I suspect there are not a ton of people building fast
ethernet networks right this minute.

But if we are going to go to all the trouble of stringing CAT5,
and buying systems with EtherWORKS Turbo PCI cards in them
we definately want to understand what our migration path to 
fast ethernet is.

So, that said, I would just like to chat with someone about the
direction we (Digital) are headed with this.

It sounds to me like the 900 backplane is a safe bet at this point,
that it would be able to support a fast ethernet repeater module that 
we comeout with on the backplane...so that is good.

I'll also look at the NPB page closer as suggested ealier.

Can someone hear give me a contact name for discussing the above?

thanks in advance,

-Stephen

    Stand in line. We've all been asking for 100TX solutions for years.
    We might have something this spring. 2-ports of Fast Ethernet
    in the VNswitch900XE module.
    
    (And by the way, I'm already losing LOTS of sales to Bay/3COM/CISCO for
    products like the 28115. People ARE building LOTS of 100mbps Ethernet
    solutions today.)
    
    Mark

    .5
    >It sounds to me like the 900 backplane is a safe bet at this point,  
    >that it would be able to support a fast ethernet repeater module that
    >we comeout with on the backplane...so that is good. 
    
    I remember last year when the 100-Base-T vs VG-AnyLAN debate was
    very hot, Digital proposed a safe path with switched Ethernet and
    FDDI. That war was not about technology but marketing, customers
    had with Digital a safe choice based in mature standards.
    
    .6
    >(And by the way, I'm already losing LOTS of sales to Bay/3COM/CISCO
    for   
    >products like the 28115. People ARE building LOTS of 100mbps Ethernet     
    >solutions today.)                                                         
    
    Now that HP is defeated, 100-Base-T can be considered a de-facto 
    standard. Unfortunately there are too many vendors already deploying
    100-Base-T repeaters/switches, full-duplex, etc.
    
    But for the corporate backbone, nothing like our full duplex 
    switched FDDI with dual homing and hunt groups (100-Base-T 
    networks do not have something like this) or ATM if you can 
    afford the price and risk involved.
    
    Definitevely, at the integration level there is a gap for
    100-Base-T repeaters/switches in a hub and we are losing
    too many customers that can not afford GIGAswitches and
    apparently see 100-base-t as a cheaper solution