[2604] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Network World Article
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jordan Becker)
Sat Mar 21 04:24:37 1992
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 92 4:14:17 EST
From: Jordan Becker <becker@ans.net>
To: com-priv@psi.com
This article requires several clarifications:
> <<MESSAGE from>> Gordon Cook 18-MAR-92 21:11
> cook@tmn
> Internet migration to T-3 stalled by router problems, by Ellen Messmer
> Network World march 16th
>
> ".... ANS ... has been unable to obtain the Cisco Systems Inc T-3 routers
> it purchased last fall for shipping data at T-3 speeds.
ANS has had Cisco routers equipped with T3 interfaces and DSUs provided by T3
Plus Inc. for some time now. We have installed and tested these routers on
the wide area T3 test network that we employ for evaluation of new production
network technologies. We have been very pleased with the results we have
achieved. The performance has been very good, and the responsivness of the
Cisco people has been excellent.
> . . . . . according to weis he main problem appears to
> center on the high volume of broadcast traffic required to communicate
> with the 5,000 nets attached to the NSF backbone.
This makes very little technical sense. Perhaps the reporter meant to say
that the routing complexity involving the management of 5,000+ routes
dynamically across 50+ autonomous systems that involves external routing
exchanges with 100+ routers creates some problems. This is a true statement,
but it is independant of the serial interface speed, and it is a serious issue
for any network.
> 'That's a difficult
> thing for routers to do' he said adding that the Cisco AGS+ routers are
> now being used at 56 KBS speeds on parts of the NSF Network while testing
> of routers at T-3 speeds continues on on the ANS T-3 test network. [GC:
> what is meant by the ANS T-3 *TEST* network?]
ANS and its partners maintain a wide area T3/T1 network for research and
testing of new software and technology prior to introduction onto the
production networks.
> However Cisco Officials were surprised to hear of the problems. 'It's
> news to me' said Christine hemrich, software product manager at Cisco.
> I'm surprised they are having difficulties.
ANS officials were also surprised to hear of the problems.
> Last dceember ANS bought the cisco T-3 routers to
> supplement the IBM equipment on the T-3 backbone. the problems ANS is now
> experiencing with the Cisco T-3 router, which others have said can operate
> at only up tp 6.318 mega bits per second because of its v35 interface
> lmitations, raise the questions of whether technical limits to high spped
> routing exist in complex environments such as the internet. . .. "
The T3 interface techology from Cisco supports the HSSI electrical interface
rather than V.35. I believe this was developed by Cisco and T3 Plus, and has
been adopted by other router vendors that are working on T3 router technology.
Jordan
