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From: dcrocker@AHWAHNEE.STANFORD.EDU (Dave Crocker)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Novell and TCP/IP
Message-ID: <8908160352.AA00430@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 15 Aug 89 14:37:38 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 31

The question of "coordinating" use of TCP/IP with a proprietary protocol,
such as Novell's Netware, surfaces on one of the lists periodically.  In
looking for solutions, it is important to be clear about the problem, since
there are two, VERY different operational styles and they need two, VERY
different kinds of solutions:

1.  Proprietary Network

The entire (sub-)network operates with the proprietary protocol, but you
would like to connect it to a TCP/IP network.  This requires that the
various hosts on the proprietary network communicate over their
sub-network through some sort of relay device (router/gateway) which
connects the proprietary protocol into the TCP/IP protocols.  There are
different technical solutions to this.

2.  Shared Network

You wish to run the proprietary protocols AND TCP/IP over the SAME wire and
want you host (pc) to be able to use BOTH sets of protocols.  If done
efficiently, this requires having the protocol stacks share the network
device driver for the host.  (An alternative is to make this case look
like #1, above, and have the relay device connected twice to the network,
so that the proprietary network looks as if it is on a separate wire.)

It is my understanding that the Excelan product, which was suggested in
a previous note, solves only case #2, for shared networks.  (Note that if
{you already have another network interface card, you get to buy the
Excelan card anyhow.  There are alternate products whi allow you to share
various other cards.

Dave