AT&T networking

[Retzner]

> As to the compatability of the networking hardware they use, I don't
> know.  It does not appear (from what I have read here & elsewhere) that
> it is compatible with anything other than itself.

The 3BNET hardware is ETHERNET compatible for the 3B2 and 3B5.
The 3B20 should be compatible but I can't say for sure.  The
problem with other hosts/protocols is not with the hardware
but in the kernel driver.

The 3B2 3BNET driver provides an application interface that
allows communicating with other non-3BNET hosts with some limitations.
3BNET reserves a few source addresses and protocol types.

I have currently have a 3B2 running System V Release 2 communicating
with a Intel 82586 and Intel 82501 combination using the 3BNET
application interface.  I was pleasently surprized at how easy it
was to implement the software that uses the application interface.

The 3B5 3BNET driver should have the same capability, but I can not
say for sure.  I am not at all familiar with the 3B20 3BNET interface
so I leave that with no comment.

Just wanted to clear (some of) the air on the compatibility questions.

Bill Retzner
ihlpg!retzner