The basic packages Apple and Microsoft offer are just that: basic. For most of us, these packages are enough -- they enable you to do basic functions, such as configure
your IP address manually or use DHCP, and they include such standards as FTP and telnet.
Windows 95's TCP/IP stack is pretty impressive. First, it's easy to install. While Windows 95 doesn't automatically detect a TCP/IP network, as the Setup Wizard does for NetWare and NT networks (where it selects such items as the correct protocol and Ethernet frame type), you can use DHCP or Microsoft's Windows Internet naming service to automatically configure your workstation for TCP/IP connectivity. Lacking these services on your network, you must enter configuration information, such as an IP address and subnetwork mask, manually.
Microsoft includes many utilities with its Windows 95 TCP/IP stack: telnet, ping, and an FTP client, for example. Additionally, you can buy the Microsoft Plus Pack to get Microsoft's Internet browser (or you can download the browser via the Internet).
The Mac TCP/IP stack is part of Apple's Open Transport networking architecture. Version 1.1 of Open Transport, which shou
ld be shipping with new Macs and Power Macs when this article sees print, offers automatic configuration via BOOTP or DHCP.
Internet access is also a straightforward process with the Open Transport architecture. That's because Apple includes MacPPP and MacSLIP, which allow you to make a PPP or SLIP connection to an Internet service provider.
Like Microsoft, Apple does not include a browser with its OS. But an Apple Internet connectivity kit (sold separately) offers many tools for Internet access, including Netscape Navigator and Newswatch browsers, the Apple Internet Dialer, Adobe Acrobat, and Fetch FTP.
Who Needs More?
With the major OS vendors throwing in a TCP/IP stack and Internet-access tools, you'd think third-party IP-stack vendors would be posting "going out of business" signs on their front doors. But that's not the case.
Most third-party vendors concede that the level of IP connectivity offered by OS vendors is fine for home users. But they argue that
it's not enough for corporations where TCP/IP is -- no pun intended -- the backbone of their business (see the figure
"A Cornucopia of Solutions"
).
Third-party IP-stack vendors say there are several reasons why people will pay for what OS vendors are giving away. First, they claim that by virtue of their years of experience with IP, the basic TCP/IP utilities bundled with their stacks offer richer feature sets than the ones bundled with OS-vendor's stacks. Second, they say they typically offer more TCP/IP LAN utilities and better administrative and management tools than the OS vendors. And third, they typically do not charge for support.
But of course they'd say this -- it's either that or they start thinking what Chapter 11 will be like. What follows is a look at how well their claims match reality.
Fuller Features, More Functions
Does maturity make a difference? It seems so: Many of the TCP/IP utilities offered by third-party stack vendors h
ave had several years to mature, and it shows.
For example, Microsoft offers a character-based FTP utility for transferring files. It requires familiarity with the FTP syntax from Unix we all know and despise (Why is it that
exit
won't exit? Why must we type
quit
?). Walker, Richer & Quinn (WRQ) employs a drag-and-drop Windows-based FTP program that's rather like Windows 3.1's File Manager. And many of NetManage's basic tools are Windows-based, in contrast to the command-line utilities from Microsoft that have to be run from a DOS window.
Or consider configuration utilities. FTP Software's IP configuration program lets you fine-tune low-level TCP/IP parameters, enabling you to, for example, adjust the size of the TCP/IP window. Sure, you can do this in Windows 95 -- if you happen to love playing around in the Registry Editor (REGEDIT).
Macintosh users can also get richer utilities from third-party IP-stack vendors. The Wollongong Group's PathWay Access TCP/IP suite for th
e Mac offers scripting features in its telnet and FTP clients that allow you to automate repetitive tasks. Scripting comes in handy for backup: You can transfer important business-data files to a Unix server every day, for example.
Besides providing richer functionality in basic utilities, third-party IP-stack vendors offer utilities that make a lot of sense in a setting where TCP/IP is the backbone of a corporation. But if you're just looking for Internet access, these utilities probably don't make as much sense. For example, most IP-stack vendors also include NFS client software. Typically, the users who need NFS capabilities work in a networking environment where TCP/IP is the backbone protocol.
Terminal emulation is another weak area for built-in stacks. Sure, Windows 95 has HyperTerm, but HyperTerm doesn't support connections over network protocols -- only over serial links. It's the same story on the Mac: no emulator for a network connection. Third-party stacks, on the other hand, tend to
include a high-quality emulator. For instance, Frontier Technologies includes TN3270 and VT320 emulators with its SuperTCP Pro product for IBM and Digital Equipment host connectivity. Also, Pacer Software offers an extensive suite of emulators for Mac clients, and Attachmate's TN3270 emulator for the Mac includes support for AppleScript (for automating routine tasks) and drag-and-drop file transfer capabilities to an IBM host.
Another thing to consider with emulators is a vendor's range of offerings. This is an area in which third-party IP-stack vendors typically do a better job than OS vendors. Choosing a vendor that supports numerous emulations is particularly important for corporate TCP/IP users who need connectivity to numerous hosts.
First, using a single-vendor approach for host connectivity cuts training costs. That's because different emulators from one vendor all have the same look and feel. If a user currently accesses an IBM host and needs to connect to a Digital VAX, he or she is pre
sented with the same interface on the screen.
A second benefit of using a single vendor for all your emulators is that it eliminates finger-pointing if a problem arises. For instance, you could use a TCP/IP stack from one vendor, a TN3270 emulator from another, and a VT320 from another. If a conflict occurs, who do you call?
Finally, a third benefit is that a single-vendor approach prevents conflicts from happening in the first place.
The Mason-Dixon Line
Extras like NFS and terminal emulators can often ride over any IP stack, thanks to Winsock (in the Windows arena; see the figure
"Doing Windows"
) and the APIs in Apple's Open Transport. As a result, you'll see some IP-stack vendors selling their utilities as add-ons to your Apple or Microsoft TCP/IP stack.
But there are some utilities that will never break away from their parent stacks. Specifically, some network management programs are intimately bound to the kernel of the IP stack and
cannot run over Winsock or Mac APIs. This is another issue to consider when deciding between a free stack in an OS and a third-party stack. Some refer to this as the "above/below the Winsock line" issue.
"Many people look at Winsock and say, `that's a solved problem; let's move on'," says Bruce Thompson, product manager for network applications at WRQ. "But there are many higher-level applications that require specific hooks into a stack and that do not go through Winsock."
For example, there is no API within Winsock to pass summary statistics about network traffic to an SNMP management system. For the home user, this is irrelevant, so the stacks from Apple and Microsoft are fine. For the corporate TCP/IP network, however, SNMP statistics are key to problem diagnosis.
WRQ's SNMP-based network management statistics tool is tied to its stack. Similarly, FTP Software has its own IP diagnostic tool that gathers information about TCP/IP packet traffic. And many third-party IP-stack vendors off
er their own APIs for connecting their stacks to different services -- the "below" in "above/below the Winsock line."
For example, FTP Software's stack allows automatic switching between serial and Ethernet connections. Usually, you have your stack configured so that a LAN connection is the default. When you want to access the Internet over a SLIP or PPP connection, you have to reconfigure to a serial connection. With MacTCP or Windows 95's IP stack, this process is manual. FTP Software's switching function detects when you fire up a dialer program to make your Internet connection, and it automatically changes the settings for you. When you terminate the call, it restores LAN connections.
Debate about using a free IP stack versus buying one from a third-party vendor might tone down a little after the adoption of the latest implementation of Winsock. Winsock 2, which is nearing completion, extends the Winsock specification in a number of ways that address a few of the "above/below the Winsock Lin
e" issues.
For example, Winsock 2 will make it easier for multimedia applications to ride over a TCP/IP stack. The specification gives developers a standard way in which to access the quality-of-service (QOS) capabilities of ISDN and ATM. (QOS gives time-sensitive multimedia traffic a higher priority over LAN traffic, ensuring smooth playback of the audio and video portions of a multimedia data stream.) Winsock 2 also addresses links into wireless services, giving developers access to wireless QOS features.
Basically, Winsock 2 will let more third-party applications and utilities run over any vendor's IP stack. However, it does not address the lack of utilities bundled with free IP stacks.
Today and Tomorrow
There are some applications that just aren't offered by OS vendors. For example, most TCP/IP-stack vendors bundle an Internet browser with their stack. (Remember: Microsoft's built-in browser does not ship with Windows 95, but it's included in the Plus Pack.)
And there's one other factor that plays to corporate audiences: support costs. Most TCP/IP-stack vendors offer free support for the life of the product. Contrast that to Microsoft, which charges corporate users for support by the hour.
Again, the support issue might not be important to a user who just needs Internet access. Often the Internet-service provider helps resolve configuration and connectivity problems. But in a TCP/IP LAN environment, where connectivity is essential, free support is worth a lot.
Basically, you can view the free IP stacks from OS vendors as a good start. And many users won't need any more than that. Corporate types with large IP networks, on the other hand, will appreciate the more fully functioned utilities, advanced network-diagnostic capabilities, and free support offered by third-party stack vendors.
WHERE TO FIND
Attachmate Corp.
Bellevue, WA
(800) 426-6283
(206) 644-4
010
fax: (206) 747-9924
http://www.attachmate.com
Stack Attack
