SUMMARY: Network Equipment Vendors

From: Mark `Hex' Hershberger (mah@cs.tulane.edu)
Date: Tue Jul 09 1996 - 14:56:10 CDT


Here's the list of vendors that I compiled from information that people
sent me:

        3Com http://www.3com.com
        Asante http://www.asante.com
        Bay Networks http://www.baynetworks.com
        DEC http://www.networks.digital.com
        Cabletron http://www.cabletron.com
        Cisco http://www.cisco.com
        Fore http://www.fore.com
        GrandJunction (bought out by Cisco)
        HP http://hpcc998.external.hp.com/ahp/Networking/
        Xylan http://www.xylan.com
        Xyplex http://www.xyplex.com

| _o ) mah@cs.tulane.edu |
| Mark `Hex' Hershberger `\< New Orleans, LA ( |
| (*)/(*) c[] hex@cs.tulane.edu |

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others
        because you were born in it. -- G.B. Shaw

+++++++++

Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 11:39:30 -0600
From: lopez@abqato.scs.philips.com (Robert Lopez)
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

We have used 3Com in the past and no longer use them.
We do still us Cabletron in all parts of our building
that is serviced by Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
In the areas of the building where I am responsible
we use Xyplex. I have observed that Xyplex is every
bit as capable as Cabletron and much more reliable.
I do have concerns about recent sale of Xyplex.

A bigger problem here has been bad "Catagory 5" wire
and wiring components. We have found it necessary
to test, certify and document every cable run. We
test the first cable off of every roll.

The worst problem is the local and national companies
we brought in to do cable installs are having staff
training problems. We audit all work. For every 10
cable installers who have come through the front door
we have sent 9 packing for unacceptable workmanship.
Beware. It may work fine at 10Mbps and fail at 100Mbps
just due to bad installation practices.

Speaking for myself and not my company...

-Robert Lopez
lopez@scs.philips.com

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Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors
Date: Thu, 04 Jul 1996 12:43:15 -0500
From: Gene Rackow <rackow@mcs.anl.gov>

Another company you should look at would be Xylan corperation. They
have a rather nice box.
-_gene

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From: John DiMarco <jdd@cdf.toronto.edu>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 14:00:30 -0400

Fast Ethernet recommendations: Cisco, Fore, 3com

As for wiring, just wire up the whole building with Cat5 twisted pair
(or fibre, if you're rich), and you should be able to run pretty much
anything you want over it.

Regards,

John
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Date: Thu, 04 Jul 1996 15:39:24 +0400
From: Michael Ramchand <mpr@fj-icl.com>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

You can't forget Bay Networks. In my mind, they probably have the best
all round set of equipment. Very good in the Switching world.
+++++++++

Date: Thu, 04 Jul 1996 16:13:19 -0500
From: "Ing. Carlos Ramon Guevara" <cguevara@ns.sinfo.net>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

3Com and CABLETRON are two of the very best....I would also recommend talking to
DEC, HP and Bay Networks....All five should be able to fullfil all your needs...
You may find tons of other cheaper alternatives, but this five companies will
make sure you always stay at the forefront in technology....

P.S. - 3Com is probably the best value for FAST ETHERNET, Switching and ATM.

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Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 08:37:39 +0200
From: rauthenberg@HHI.DE (Stefan Rauthenberg)
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

Hello Mark,

I upgraded/re-wired our "single backbone" network to a twisted pair
network consisting of 10Mb/100Mb segments a year ago. We've been using
GrandJunction switches to connect the 10Mb segments to the FastEthernet
segments without any problems. In addition to GrandJunction I purchased
a switch NH208 from NBase Switch Communications and had a lot of trouble
with it; it broke down three times within 2 months. I centainly don't know
whether this was bad luck or ..

BTW, GrandJunction has been acquired by CISCO recently.

Stefan

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Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 08:18:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Leo Anzola <anzolala@wspan-cmd1.panama.army.mil>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

There are so many good vendors out there. I feel that you already have a
couple (Cabletron, 3COM). Whatever you do, go switching! Look into Cisco,
I know they are the router people, but they also have some fancy switches
(i.e. Catalyst 5000-high end, Catalyst 3000 and 2000 series - low end). If
you want big time support consider HP and Digital. Switching and virtual
LANs is the next step in networks, so if you are about to make a
considerable investment think about it.

++++++++++

From: "Burns, Scott" <scott.burns@labatt.com>
Subject: FW: Network Equipment Vendors
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 13:58:51 -0400

Hands down for LAN/WAN/Terminal Server use Xyplex. They can be reached
in the U.S. at: 800-435-7997.

scott
scott.burns@labatt.com
scott.burns@netcontech.com

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From: dvande01@hac.vlt.eds.com (Doug Vanderlip)
Subject: Network upgrade.
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 12:33:13 -0500 (EDT)

Mark,

You are in for a trip, I have been trying to get my
network upgraded to 100 baseT for a year now. The
Cicso either Switch, with 100 baseT 3com cards is
what I have been pushing for. These two company's
seem to release technology tegether. The Cicso switch
allows you to upgrade seats one at a time, or one segment
at a time. If you got the buy off to upgrade, I would
highly recommend these two solutions. Because, my network
works, I have not been able to talk MGMT into upgrading it.
I would contact a Cisco rep, because they are very knowledgable
in 3com's technology.

Good luck,
High Seas adn fair winds into the new High speed superhighway.

Regards,

Doug Vanderlip,
dvande01@hac.vlt.eds.com
 
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Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 13:48:47 -0500 (CDT)
From: John Justin Hough <john@oncology.uthscsa.edu>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

Mark,

  I think that you should visit the Cisco web pages. They have some
  nice reviews (third party) about their hardware against others.
  They make some very nice switched ethernet hardware.

  I have some nice 3COM LinkSwitch 1000 ethernet switches, and would
  have bought the Cisco 2800 instead, but I had a fixed budget and
  I needed more ports than speed; oh well!

  Also the rest of the Health Science is switching to Cisco ethernet
  switches from Xyplex Hubs/ethernet switches.

  You aught to look into Lannet too. They are a small company but
  they make nice, albeit expensive, ethernet switches.

john

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Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 11:59:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Stuart Kendrick <sbk@fhcrc.org>
Subject: Re: Network Equipment Vendors

Big players, in addition to the two you've mentioned, include Bay Networks
and Cisco. We use both and are happy with both.

I have limited experience with Cabletron, their stuff seems
reasonable to me. We almost bought a stack of their hubs, but then
discovered that their hubs won't boot via BOOTP. (They CLAIM their hubs
do, but when one gets down to it, it turns out that you have to manually
assign IP addresses to their hubs, then they can BOOTP their software
loads. They consider this a security feature, not a bug.)

I have no experience with 3Com.

If you are working in the low-end, you might look at Asante. Solid,
reliable products. They are never on the bleeding edge and have been slow
to offer integrated management with the big platforms (SNM, OpenView,
NetView), but produce stable hardware at low prices.

--sk



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