Repository: babyoil.ftp.com
Originating-Client: desire.ftp.com
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.banyan-l
Date:         Fri, 11 Dec 1992 11:54:57 -0500
Reply-To:     fks@ftp.com
From:         "Frances K. Selkirk" <fks@FTP.COM>
Subject:      FTP employee on PC/TCP and Vines

Hi - an FTP Software employee, here!  I don't get to much news, anymore,
but someone forwarded this thread internally, and I thought I'd clear up
a few points:

> Version 2.10 enhancements includes an ability for the kernel to load 30k
> of itself into expanded memory thus requiring "only" :} 40k of base
> memory.  There are also Windows versions of VT terminal emulation, FTP
> client, ping, and reporting tools.  The piece that is blatantly missing is
>  Windows 3270 support.  You must still use DOS to do 3270 emulation,
> finger, whois, lpr, etc.  Additionally, PCTCP will support 6 simultaneous
> TCP/IP sessions.  This means one can keep the FTP server software (a DOS

In the default Windows configuration, PC/TCP supports 6 simultaneous
TCP connections, and 6 UDP connections. If you want to take a bit
more memory :-(  you can configure it for more. (Remember that an FTP session
takes TWO TCP sessions - one for control and one for data!) 2.1 also added
an nntp client, MTU discovery, gateway fallback, better PPP support, and,
most importantly, a QIO kernel that can be used by multiple apps running
in Windows or DesqView.


> One thing I'm not clear on is whether or not packet and/or NDIS drivers
> will work with the Banyan versions of PC/TCP (i.e. ebanyan,ibanyan).

> Here at NIST we have a site license for PC/TCP software.  One of the drivers
> I ordered with the site license was the Banyan driver from FTP Software.  It
> works with VINES just fine and I don't buy any of that support from Banyan.
> The upgrades to both software and drivers is automatic on the site license.

PC/TCP works with Vines in three ways: Ebanyan (available from Banyan or
FTP Software), ibanyan (available only from Banyan), and sharing an NDIS
driver. As I understand it (caveat), ebanyan uses Banyan type ethernet
drivers to run in parallel with Vines, and ibanyan actually runs over
Vines, so that the IP is encapsulated in Vines packets. Both ibanyan and
ebanyan require Vines drivers; Ibanyan is recommended for people with
several Vines LANs networked together. The kernels in our "generic"
package (including Ethdrv, Tokdrv, X25drv, etc) work over Packet Drivers,
and come with supported PDS > NDIS and PDS > ODI shims.

> The relationship between Banyan and FTP is a weird one.  Both are
> Massachusetts companies and are about 30 minutes apart. You must purchase the
> software from Banyan as well as get support from Banyan.  FTP will not answer
> your questions without a valid serial number (the number from Banyan is not
> valid).

Sorry about the support policy, but Technical Support is too small for our
current customer base and release schedule, and we're hiring as fast as we
can. If you have a site license of PC/TCP, whether through Banyan or
through us, and frequently have questions, you might want to sign up for
our quarterly, _Support@FTP.COM_, which has many tips and discussions of
common prblems, as well as information on new releases. Write:

                        FTP Software, Inc.
                        Attn: MIS Department
                        Two High Street
                        N. Andover, MA 01845

Back issues are available by anonymous ftp on vax.ftp.com. (They're in the
"support_newsletter" directory; the things in the "newslet" directory are
mostly marketing/PR stuff.)

When requesting support of your VAR or OEM, keep two things in mind:
First, we are giving your VAR a substantial price break to support the
product. If they are not providing their customers with adequate support,
we want to know! Also, if your VAR cannot answer your questions, _they_
should call us, rather than you calling us. That way, at least one person
in the VAR's technical support department gets educated on your problem,
and future customers with that problem will get better support.


> I was notified of FTP 2.1 release and immediately called Banyan.  I was told
> there was a formal manner of upgrade.  You must fill out a form and the
> process takes 2 weeks.  I waited somewhere between 8-10 weeks

In all honesty, some of that delay may have been our fault. The first week
that 2.10 shipped, we found a serious bug in the EMM handling in some
kernels, and suspended orders while we fixed it. 2.11 (the fixed version)
came out in August, but source (which Banyan might need) was not available
immediately.


> This is the one with IBanyan. I suspect the EBanyan version requires you to
> have different serial numbers in each computer, but I do not know if there
> is some kind of copy protection that will validate the serial numbers in
> some way, or it's just that they want it for reference in case of support.

Serialized kernels will notice if packets go by with the same serial
number (our software does NOT send out packets for this purpose) and beep
annoyingly every minute or two, while displaying the IP address of the
machine with the duplicate number. The software WILL continue to work.
We provide some domestic site licenses with non-serialized kernels, but
I don't know all the restrictions on their distribution. Ask your sales
person if you qualify.


General information on using PC/TCP with Windows:

        Using 2.05, pl3 or later:

                Make sure that vpctcp is loaded in the [386 Enh] section
        of Windows' system.ini. Make sure that pctcpapi.dll is in the path.
        If you are using multitasking, load the kernel before Windows,
        configuring extra TCP sessions with the -t option.

        Using 2.1:

                Make sure that vpctcp is loaded in the [386 Enh] section
        of Windows' system.ini. Make sure that pctcpapi.dll and wnet386.dll
        or wnet286.dll (as appropriate) is in the path. Load the kernel
        before Windows.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Frances K. Selkirk              fks@ftp.com             (508) 685-3600
FTP Software, Inc.              2 High Street, North Andover, MA 01845
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.banyan-l