From: dwight@hyphen.com (Dwight Ernest)
Subject: Re: What is a SLIP connection?
Organization: Hyphen, Inc., Wilmington, MA 01887 USA / +1 508 988-0880
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 15:44:37 GMT

smrttadm@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Jeffrey Smartt) writes:

>can someone please tell me what a SLIP connection is!

A SLIP (serial line Internet protocol) connection is a TCP/IP connection
implemented through a serial circuit like a modem or a direct-connect
line.  TCP/IP connections can also be implemented through other media,
e.g. Ethernet, FDDI, token ring, whatever.  SLIP connections are often
used through modem circuits.


[The following is a canned response to questions I encounter concerning
SLIP and PPP.]

I would recommend using PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) instead of SLIP
if you have a choice.
	- It's not limited to TCP/IP;
	- It has its own link-layer checksum;
	- It's better supported by most router manufacturers.

Whatever you choose to do, whether it's SLIP or PPP, make sure that the
implementation you use provides for Van Jacobsen (VJ) header
compression.  There are versions of both SLIP and PPP that support
this.  The version of SLIP that supports it is often referred to as
CSLIP.  With it, interactive TCP/IP usage over slow (<56 kB/s) circuits
will be less slow to use.

I have a document that I will share with you upon request (on the
condition that you keep its credit and copyright notices intact) that
describes how to install a version of SLIP >without< VJ header
compression into a Sun running 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 SunOS.  You can get that
document by asking me for 'slip.doc'.  I can also send you, upon
request, the version of SLIP to which that document refers, but it
lacks VJ compression.

For a version of PPP with VJ compression that's free for use, look for
the 'free Sun PPP implementation from karl@MorningStar.Com'.  The
current patchlevel for that version is 6.  I can send this to you as a
last resort, but you should check your local archive server for it
first before asking me.

Here is a file from ftp.uu.net which explains more about where to find
SLIP and PPP implementations:

----- Begin included message:
From: bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield)
Subject: Re: dialup IP (was Re: Telebit and V.32bis)
Organization: Morning Star Technologies
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 91 17:43:21 GMT

In article <1991Jun10.165154.28133@ohsu.edu> kozowski@ohsu.edu (Eric Kozowski) writes:
   In article <BOB.91Jun8234920@remora.MorningStar.Com> bob@MorningStar.Com (Bob Sutterfield) writes:
      ...There are several implementations of each [PPP and SLIP]
      available for free...

   Where can I find these via anonymous ftp????

ftp.ee.lbl.gov:cslipbeta.tar.Z 
	header-compressed SLIP for Suns and perhaps other stuff

thumper.bellcore.com:pub/ka9q/*
	KA9Q for PCs and other stuff

icarus.riacs.edu:pub/slip/*
	various SLIP stuff for Suns and others

tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:pub/ppp/ppp-sparc4.1.tar.Z
	STREAMS-based header-compressed PPP for SunOS 4
[Dwight's note: this is the PPP that I'm using, with VJ compression.]

uunet.uu.net:networking/dialupip2.0.tar.Z and .../dialupip2.0.patch.1.Z
	on-demand SLIP for Sun-3s under SunOS 3

uunet.uu.net:networking/*
	miscellaneous SLIP and PPP implementations for various hardware
	and other useful stuff

The current NCSA Telnet family may support SLIP and/or PPP, but I'm
not familiar with them.  That's all I can think of for now - surely
someone has more that I've forgotten.

Also, several companies sell products incorporating SLIP and PPP.

-----End included message

Good luck,
-- 
--Dwight A. Ernest   R&D Manager (USA)     I speak only for myself.
  Hyphen, Inc./181 Ballardvale St./Wilmington, MA 01887/+1 508 988 0880 x125
  dwight@hyphen.com