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whyeth.txt
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1989-01-20
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34 lines
Here's what I think about Ethernet and why it so much in use today:
Now, UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT, I repeat NOT selecting Ethernet on their own...no
no no...MIT started with the Cambridge ring for instance...anyway, it is the
MACHINES Universities choose that use 802.3 (not ETHERNET), machines such as
the VAX, SUN, SILICON GRAPHICS, SEQUENT, etc....now...the BIGGEST interest
is in the VAX equipment (Oh, the Mainframes that are on campus are out numbered
by the minis...so they too are forced into using 802.3)...and VAX is made by
DEC...and DEC+Intel+Xerox = DIX, what is DIX, that is the standard governing
THICK 802.3!....ta-da....now, why did DEC go with Xerox's "ethernet"...because
it was still in the "underground" days of ethernet (to become 802.3) and DEC
could play a power role in its developed and put their name on it..!!!...now,
ARCnet had been around and already installed a bunch, it was an est. technology
....so DEC didn't see the ($) in using ARCnet since they would have to license
the technology rather than play a part in its development (which means no
licensing fees since they helped develop it!)...Now, DEC is big in Universities
so big, OTHERS are having <or have had to> conform to whatever DEC uses...that
would be DG, SUN, APOLLO, etc...and the MainFrames, IBM, AMDAHL, DEC again...
Now, TCP/IP started at Standford in the early 70s with Vint Cerf, as a DoD
project...now, how did TCP/IP get onto 802.3 the most? (it also has roots in
802.5) simple, The Gov't uses lots of MFrames and DECs and other equipmt...well
here comes DEC, with their proprietary stuff, but the Gov't wants inter-operab-
ility, aka TCP/IP which is what the Gov't has been working on...so DEC says,
sure we can do that, IBM says sure we can do that (most notably under the VM
system), and so a new standard was born!...Since IBM was involved they have
now cascaded TCP/IP interoperability to 802.5 and are working on implementatns
there too...and, recall TCP/IP is hardware independent..
thank you for your attendence...do you see what I mean?
<<John>>
<sniff>