Tom wrote:
>
> Larry Folk wrote:
> >
> > Believe it or not...we are just now getting off our HP3000/70 and going to
> > a MPE/ix box!
> > Can anyone give us an ideal of what kind of impact NS/VT traffic will have
> > on our network.
> > We will be supporting 60+ users and 16+ printers.  Our existing network is
> > 10baseT and I would say that we have light to mediumn traffic on it now.
>
> We had 200 users and 12 printers.
>

We have 500+ users with 48 network printers spread over three states.

> >
> > Our biggest concern is whether or not an existing 384k link (6 channels on
> > T1) to our plant will be able to support typical traffic for 25+ users and
> > 6+ printers.
>
> We got by with a 56k link to 3 remote plants at 300, 600, and 1700
> miles. Each plant had two DTC-48's. It's MUCH better to go with a bridge
> rather than a Multiplexor. The bridge connects directly to the HP
> backbone. At the remote plant, another backbone connects to the DTC for
> serial connections OR directly into the ethercard using Reflections for
> Windows.
>
> Later, we replaced the 56k digital modems with an X.25 Packet Switching
> network.
>
> >

I agree with Tom only if you are not running a NT network. Go with the
bridge. I have used Gandalf bridges in the past. If you are running a NT
network, use routers.

We have 5 offices with a mixture of data circuit types connected via
Cisco 2501 routers.
        Corporate is located in Brooklyn Heights 12 miles from Cleveland
        #1 T1 circuit providing access for aprox 70 NS/VT users and 8 printers
(Cleveland, Ohio)
        #2 128k circuit providing access for aprox 60 NS/VT users and 12
printers (Columbus, Ohio)
        #3 56k circuit providing access for aprox 40 NS/VT users and 6 printers
(Cincinnatti, Ohio)
        #4 56k circuit providing access for aprox  15 NS/VT users and 3
printers (Pittsburhg, PA)
        #5 56k circuit providing access for aprox 8 NS/VT users and 2 printers
(Detroit, MI)

These figures do not include those directly connected to the Hp3000
either via a DTC72NX or Emulex terminal servers.


> > Would anyone be willing to share their experiences, advise, expertise, "gut
> > feeling" etc. with us?  Is there any quanitative standard to use for
> > estimating traffic per user?
>
> (1) Do not try to use Routers that are not HP. Other Routers can't
> handle the HP packet format which forces you to cripple the Router into
> a Bridge. We had three or four comm line vendors over 10 years and they
> *ALWAYS* insisted that THEIR Router could handle it - but the DTC would
> *NEVER* work on the other end.
>

This is incorrect. We are using Cisco 2501's in every office. Each is
configured for bridging the HP protocals. My gut feeling would be that
the 384k line you have in place should be sufficent for a NT network.
I'm not too sure about Novell. My last job had a Novell network in place
and we had a 128k link but had problems printing to remote printers.

> (2) Don't try to use a circular topography. We had a new parent company
> which hooked up a link to our remote plants. Response just *DIED*. Turns
> out the HP packets were randomly going out from Us-to-Parent-to-Plant
> and Us-to-Plant. Packets would wind up going down path A B A A B A B B A
> B B B A and so on. This really bolloxed up the Plant end and there were
> a lot of data collisions and timeouts.
>
> All on an HP3000/932 with 200 users.
>

All on an HP3000/959 with 450+ users. Actually 500+, many run multiple
sessions thanks in part to NS/VT.
> >
> > Any help would be appreciated!
> >
> > Larry Folk                              Kline Iron & Steel Co., Inc.
> > I.S. Manager                            Columbia, SC
> > [log in to unmask]                803-251-8026, fax 803-251-8080


Rick Clark
Senior Analyst
WW&R
Cleveland, Ohio