Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

>    Is this the correct conference for the EtherWORKS Hub 8TX product?
 
It may as well be.  Thought the adapter folks may know more about this product
than we do.
   
>    I would like to know the intended strategy for connecting the Hub 8TX
>    into our existing DEChub 900 network environments.  Do we require
>    another companies 100BaseTX to Ethernet switches?
 
I doubt you're going to get a good answer to this question in this
conference.  Keeping in mind that this doesn't qualify as a "good answer"....

Yep.  Since we don't have a 100BaseTX to Ethernet switch right now your
customers must either wait until we do have one, or buy one from someone
else.  But I'm sure this isn't the simplistic answer you wanted.

(I think the 8TX came about because our adapter folks are selling 100Mb
Ethernet adapters and want to be able to sell something from Digital to
connect them to.)
						-Shawn

> (I think the 8TX came about because our adapter folks are selling 100Mb
> Ethernet adapters and want to be able to sell something from Digital to
> connect them to.)

So you can now connect 14 of these adapters together in a little network (by
using two 8TXs). Big deal if you can't connect to anything else!

I think that .0 has a very valid point, and .1 sums things up nicely. In my
opinion, NPBU still doesn't have a very credible Fast Ethernet story. Anything
that isn't in the DEChub form factor is immediately suspected of being a
stop-gap measure, so unless I'm missing something, I don't predict rampant sales
of these EtherWORKS Hubs.

-John

    Not having it in the DEChub 900 should not affect sales dramatically IF
    it is positioned correctly by the Sales rep.  Remember, most everyone
    else (Cisco, Bay, etc) have solutions that were designed to run in
    their own enclosure.  Our competition buys companies with the
    technolgies they want, hence, they integrate the same way the 8TX does,
    ie, another box.  Most customers do not care how it looks anymore. 
    They want to know if it works and what it costs.
    
    That is where the 8TX is weak.  It only speaks 100BaseTX.  It cannot
    get to a GIGAswitch or DEChub 900 without buying another vendors
    product.  Many custmers want to buy everything for the LAN from a single 
    vendor, leaving us out in the cold.
    
    The 8TX would be a MUCH stronger product if it's ports were 10/100 and
    not just 100TX.  
    
    Regards,
    
    Mark
    
    
    Regards, 

>    The 8TX would be a MUCH stronger product if it's ports were 10/100 and
>    not just 100TX.  
 
If you feel 10/100 ports are important you should contact product management.
(It's too late for the 8TX, but could affect future products.)

							-Shawn

    Several of us in the field have been speaking the business case for
    Fast Ethernet downlinks with FDDI or ATM uplinks for almost 2 years now.
    I think rational cards and letters should be directed to AVI FOGEL @LKG
    to get some attention. (I send my through me SE's to add technical
    muscle 8-).
    
    I suggested an interim solution (for the next 1-2 years) that would
    address higher density 100baseTX links using the Xylan TX cards in the
    DECswitch400. It's just one suggestion to get us out of this mess we
    are in. The DECswitch 400 folks at XYLAN claim to have 100baseTX
    downlink cards, and FDDI uplink cards that could be plugged in if we
    work the business details out.
    
    I think many of the folks in LKG are focused on FDDI and ATM, and only
    casually interested in the 100baseTX (Even the planned PE-family will NOT
    answer the higher density need for 100baseTX based on what I saw
    presented last week). With NPBU going towards the reseller model, we
    ALL need to realize that 100baseTX is a 'reseller
    technology'. We don't have the luxury of convincing BIG CORPORATE
    NETWORK BUYERS WITH DEDICATED DEC-BADGED REPS THAT FDDI IS A BETTER WAY.
    Resellers need to sell good, fast and cheap. 100baseTX is that perfect
    fit in the reseller channel--- and they REALLY CAN get it from 3COM and
    BAY.
    
    My suggestion:
    	Cards and constructive letters to AVI FOGEL @LKG.
    
    Mark

    Now WHY would we (a network company) build a network product and have
    NOTHING in our portfolio of products to connect to it?  Sounds like a
    great network company decision to me! 
    
    I agree with Mark (.-1) that extending the Xylan as a stopgap measure
    until the PE stuff is up makes great sense to at least get Digital
    presence in there.  The problem with that is, of course, that there is
    no long term love between Xylan and Digital and now they are putting in
    boxes because we can't resell their entire product line.  We come in,
    don't offer the complete line, Xylan walks in, take the biz.  (And say
    "thank you" to Digital for the lead...!)
    
    So, yes, please get us a stop-gap measure that at least gets us
    connected to the rest of the enterprise.  
    
    Things that hamper 100TX are distance limits, need for squeaky-clean
    cat5, need to pop in new NICs and drivers, etc., man hours to convert
    etc.  Ethernet switching can make more deployment sense to a large
    organization as can just upping the file server to 100MB FDDI and
    switching to get bandwidth.
    
    But when Data communications sez that 100mB TX is better than sex,
    folks are implementing it for new applications.  And we loose BIGtime.
    At least if we had something stupid with an uplink we could hold onto
    some biz while we wait for the PE.
    
    Regards,
    j
    ^--who wants Shawn to come to the next SE meetings too!
    

        From the product support perspective, I think we'd be very happy to
    never have to deal with Xylan again.  There are many thorns on this
    particular rose.
    
    MDL

    
    From a field perspective, I agree with Michael. However, we need this
    product to act as both a stopgap for important customer situations and
    also to get in the door with certain accounts. 

    the reality is that we sell xylan anyway (i.e. via NIS as native XYLAN
    as opposed to the decswitch 400...)
    j

    NIS + XYLAN = No NPBU credit/commission
    
    8-)
    
    
    (we need an NPBU part number'd solution...)
    
    Mark

    >    NIS + XYLAN = No NPBU credit/commission
    
    Funky algebra!  ;-)