Re: more networking questions

Ramon J. Hontanon (mlists@cantabria.cber.nih.gov)
Tue, 8 Nov 1994 10:48:50 -0500 (EST)

On Thu, 3 Nov 1994 vanburen%flovax.dnet@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu wrote:

> Well, since one of the current topics is network related, let me through in
> a few more questions.
>
> For sites using tcp/ip (like Steve Hilliard), what programs are you using to
> support ftp? For DOS PCs, does your ftp software run under Windows? Are you
> using a single file server (that runs ftp in server mode, i.e. runs an ftp
> daemon) with all other computers acting as clients? If so, what kind of
> computer are you using for a file server? Are you implementing a peer-to-
> peer network, such that all computers run ftp in server mode at all times?
>

Here at CBER FDA we are using several flavours of TCP/IP:

- Trumpet Winsock (shareware), QVT/net (shareware) + other winsock apps.
This is a great way to get TCP/IP on your machine for a nominal fee.
The winsock is the TCP/IP "engine" providing services to any winsock
"compliant" application. Many of these are free, like NCSA Mosaic,
PC Eudora, GopherBook, etc.

- FTP Software's PC/TCP (DOS-based) and ONnet (Windows). Not much
experience with these, but the NIH supports both of these products, and
they seem to do a good job. A single user copy of ONnet is ~ $400 US

- ST 420, a client-server implementation of TCP/IP where most of
the protocol software gets loaded from the server (on demand). This is
starting to be delivered here, with no apparent success so far.

>
> So, my options are: (1) buy a new Pathworks server from DEC and spend more
> money on software licensing than the computer itself (ack!), or (2) abandon
> DEC and Pathworks completely and start over. Due to my previous experiences
> with DEC, option (2) looks much brighter. And, as Steve pointed out, most
> computers will run a free version of tcp/ip software. Also, almost every
> computer will run some version of tcp/ip, even the HP340, while not all
> computers will run Pathworks, like the HP340.

My $0.02 worth: Go to TCP/IP. Patworks relies on DECnet, a protocol that
models itself after the OSI model. This is a great educational model, but
it was DOA as a real implementation. (Especially now that the US
government dropped its GOSIP proposal).

-- ramon
______________________________________________________________________
Ramon J. Hontanon
CBER FDA (NIH), 8800 Rockville Pk. Bethesda, MD 20892
Internet: ramon@helix.nih.gov packet TCP/IP: ke8sf@k3ygg.ampr.org
(301) 496 0718


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