If you want to improve NetWare network performance without the expense of a stand-alone switch, you might consider a server-based Ethernet switch, such as the
XNET Series 1800 ParallelSwitch
from XNET Technology (Milpitas, CA). Unlike the external switches in our test-bed, the Series 1800 is an internal card that provides a direct link into a file server via an ISA, EISA, or PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus slot. We tested an EISA version.
The Series 1800 needs the file server for loading the necessary NLM (NetWare loadable module) to initialize the switch and for running its NLM-based management program. It does not need the server for its basic switching functi
ons, although, generally, this is not a useful configuration. We tested the switch in a Compaq ProSignia 486/33 running NetWare 3.12. The Series 1800 delivered slightly better-than-average performance results in both the low-level and applications tests.
The Series 1800 has six full-bandwidth Ethernet ports and the one bus interface. It is a store-and-forward switch with a RISC processor and an address capacity of 8000. (The ISA version supports only 4000 addressees.) The $3288 switch (as configured for testing with a BNC connector) costs less than the external switches, but when you consider the $499-per-port cost, it's no great shakes. The 1-MB ISA version costs $1988, and the 2-MB EISA and PCI versions with UTP (unshielded twisted-pair) connectors cost $2988.
XNET's Series 1800 provides a dedicated 10-Mbps bandwidth to each of its six ports, or you can use it as an integrated switch with a high-speed server interface. This integrated approach to switching allows communication between devices
from six Ethernet segments and the file server, achieving the maximum bandwidth of 60 Mbps. The switch has multiple management capabilities, including an NLM-based management console, SwitchCON, an SNMP agent, and both in-band management and an optional RS-232 terminal console for out-of-band management.
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The server-based XNET Series 1800 ParallelSwitch is a store-and-forward switch with a RISC processor, six full-bandwidth Ethernet ports, and an address capacity of 8000.
Xnet Series 1800 Parallelswitch
