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Alime.229 net.lan utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!lime!martin Fri Apr 23 09:22:16 1982 Re: IBM Series/1 Ring

From: lime!vax135!floyd!harpo!mhtsa!ihnss!ihnp1!gjm

There are various workable architectures for local area networks, and we can argue inconclusively about theoretical properties. However since the issue started and continues with an IBM title, we might be able to make more definite conclusions about the IMPLEMENTATION of the IBM Series/1 Ring which is IBM's belated entry into the local area network market.

The IBM Series/1 Ring was evaluated along with over 20 other local area networks in a recent market study. Overall, it ranked poorly with respect to most of the other networks whether baseband, broadband, or PBX, and just plain "ranked" in the olfactory sense.

A major design goal of Series/1 Ring appears to be the selling of IBM hardware.

"IBM's proposed local network would require hundreds of Series/1 processors, about 20 rings, a System/370, and substantial software development. Access to non-IBM hosts would be multiplexed on a 19.2K bps line. In short, the system would be complicated, slow, and expensive."

If I am not mistaken, all of the above would be required for a prototype network for terminal networking for a location like IH.

The Series/1 has further problems to compound the issue. The line cards are not true full-duplex. 1200 baud seems to work fine, but higher baud rates lead to dropped characters, and 9.6 terminal traffic is currently impossible. There is even some consideration toward replacing Series/1's with Comten's for future MAXI systems.

My apologies to IBM aficionados, but this particular product appears to be "ill-conceived and ill-timed".

ASIDE: I am interested in further discussion on local area networks, both theoretical and implemented. Can a discussion of this be continued in "net.lan" or a similar newsgroup?

-Gary Murakami ihuxh!gjm

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