Micro as an ethernet terminal server

[Bob Thrush]

In article <5676 at ecsvax.uncecs.edu> howell at ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Doc A. Howell) writes:
>
>  I am looking for a hardware/software combination that will allow 
>several terminals that are connected via asynchronous lines to a multi-
>user micro-computer running something like SCO Xenix to access an
>ethernet interface, such as the 3C501 Etherlink I, and connect to a 
>VAX. I got all of that in one sentence. 
> 
>  [ much deleted ]
>
>  What say you world? Is this doable? Is it worth the effort? Have you
>seen such a combination in action?

I am currently using an IBM AT running Microport System V/AT with the
(Microport version) Excelan TCP/IP package (using Excelan EXOS205 hardware)
for this purpose.  The Excelan package provides telnet, ftp, and 'r'
utility support as well as telnet, ftp, and rsh servers.  I believe
that SCO Xenix 286/386 offer a similar package with Excelan and
Micom-Interlan hardware.  In addition, I believe Excelan separately
sells the TCP/IP package for Xenix (something called Host-Share).

I can't offer any great amount of experience connecting with VAX systems.
We have a 750 and uVax 2000 on the network running VMS with rather
old versions of Excelan software.  I casually use telnet and ftp from
the AT to these systems, but can't really comment on quality of 
implementation (I'm not a VMS power user).

My major usage of the TCP/IP utilities from the AT is rlogin and rcp
(to Sun workstations).  This arrangement works quite satisfactorily
(for me) since the EXOS card uses a 80186 to provide the TCP/IP
layers.  I fear that the AT CPU (6 Mhz 1 wait) performance on ethernet
i/o would be abysmal otherwise.  ;-}

>Doc Howell - UNCW - Communications and Hardware Support

Bob Thrush                             ...!tarpit!rd
Automation Intelligence, Inc.
1200 West Colonial Drive               (407)-843-7030 x210
Orlando, Fla 32804


-- 
Bob Thrush                             ...!tarpit!rd
Automation Intelligence, Inc.
1200 West Colonial Drive               (407)-843-7030 x210
Orlando, Fla 32804