Here is the summary that I promised. The question that I asked was what
was the best version of SLIP to get, and whether it would be usable over
2400 baud modems.
The answers that I received fell into three categories: free versions of
SLIP and PPP, commercial versions, and general discussion.
1. General discussion
==================
Ross Porter (ross@turock.psych.upenn.edu) recommended the book "TCP/IP
Network Administration" by Craig Hunt as a good overview of the whole
area, including a chapter discussing PPP and SLIP.
Several people recommended PPP rather than SLIP. There is a newsgroup for
this: comp.protocols.ppp, which has a FAQ.
I asked whether 2400 baud would be usable. The consensus is that it is
possible, particularly with header compression, but not pleasant. Going
to 9600 baud is the better option.
2. Free versions
=============
There are three versions that were mentioned, as well as requests for
pointers to specific archive sites. The three versions are slip-4.1-beta,
csn-slip-package, and cslip. The first two are the "standard" versions of
SLIP for SunOS 4.1.x. The third is derived from slip-4.1-beta, but also
has header compression, which is a desirable (some would say necessary)
feature for slower lines.
The other alternative is PPP. I list two of the free packages mentioned
in the FAQ for comp.protocols.ppp.
a. slip-4.1-beta
-------------
Available from:
alcazar.cd.chalmers.se
/pub/slip4.1
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Jul 25 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
apache.telebit.com
/pub/slip/Sun
-rw-rw-r-- 3180 Jun 21 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-rw-r-- 10889 Jun 21 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
argus.stanford.edu
/barrnet/sun
-rw-rw-r-- 12449 Oct 8 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
ascwide.ascii.co.jp
/pub/NET/slip
-r--r--r-- 1506 Aug 2 1990 slip-4.1-beta.README
-r--r--r-- 10889 Jul 21 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
bulldog.cs.yale.edu
/pub
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Jul 25 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
cs.huji.ac.il
/pub/network/slip
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Oct 15 12:12 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
ftp.uu.net
/networking/ip/slip/sun
-rw-r--r-- 2179 Mar 13 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README.Z
goya.dit.upm.es
/info/unix/communication/slip
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Nov 12 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
guardian.cs.psu.edu
/pub/src/SerialIP
-rw-rw-r-- 14556 Jun 13 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
icarus.riacs.edu
/pub/slip
-rw-r--r-- 3180 Jun 10 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-r--r-- 24576 Jun 10 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar
-rw-r--r-- 15043 Jun 10 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z.uu
iraun1.ira.uka.de
/network/protokoll-sw/slip
-rw-r--r-- 1506 Dec 9 1990 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Dec 9 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
iros1.iro.umontreal.ca
/pub/IRO/vision/slip
drwxr-xr-x 512 Jun 16 1990 slip-4.1-beta/
-rw-r--r-- 24576 Sep 29 19:30 slip-4.1-beta.tar
isfs.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp
/net/slip
-rw-r--r-- 217 Oct 16 23:48 slip-4.1-beta.BUG
-rw-r--r-- 3180 Oct 16 23:48 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Oct 16 23:48 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
mcsun.eu.net
/network/slip
-rw-rw-r-- 10889 Jul 17 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
minnie.zdv.uni-mainz.de
/pub0/pub/misc
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Mar 17 1992 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
mucket.vast.unsw.edu.au
/pub/network/slip
-rw-rw-r-- 2179 Sep 8 03:58 slip-4.1-beta.README.Z
nisc.jvnc.net
/pub/networking/slip/sun
-rw-r--r-- 2179 Sep 18 13:53 slip-4.1-beta.README.Z
-rw-r--r-- 14495 Apr 8 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
psuvax1.cs.psu.edu
/pub/src/SerialIP
-rw-rw-r-- 14556 Jun 13 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
qiclab.scn.rain.com
/pub/network
-rw-rw-r-- 14405 Mar 26 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
relay.iunet.it
/disk0/network/slip
-rwxrwxr-x 3180 May 5 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rwxrwxr-x 10889 May 5 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
/disk0/network/telebit
-rwxrwxr-x 3180 Nov 15 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rwxrwxr-x 10889 Nov 15 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
reseq.regent.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de
/physik.archive/ftp.jvnc.net
-rw-r--r-- 14495 Jun 5 00:00 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com
/pub/src/network
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Oct 2 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
src.doc.ic.ac.uk
/computing/internet/vendors/barrnet-info/sun
-r--r--r-- 12449 Oct 8 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
sun0.urz.uni-heidelberg.de
/pub/net/unix
-rw-rw-r-- 10889 Nov 18 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
/pub/unix/network
-rw-rw-r-- 10889 Nov 18 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
theta.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
/network
-r--r--r-- 1506 Jun 1 00:00 slip-4.1-beta.README
-r--r--r-- 24576 Jun 1 00:00 slip-4.1-beta.tar
toklab.ics.osaka-u.ac.jp
/UUNET91/vol7/networking
-rw-r--r-- 3180 Mar 14 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Jul 21 1990 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
unix.hensa.ac.uk
/pub/uunet/networking/ip/slip/sun
-rw-r--r-- 2179 Mar 13 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README.Z
utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
/net
drwxr-xr-x 512 Jul 1 1991 slip-4.1-beta/
/net/slip-4.1-beta
-rw-r--r-- 3180 Jun 17 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-rw-r--r-- 10889 Jan 22 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
walhalla.germany.eu.net
/pub/network/inet/slip
-r--r--r-- 3180 Aug 16 1991 slip-4.1-beta.README
-r--r--r-- 10889 Aug 16 1991 slip-4.1-beta.tar.Z
b. csn-slip-package
----------------
Available from:
csn.org
/pub/slip
-rw-r--r-- 102751 Aug 22 1991 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
fly.bio.indiana.edu
/util/slip
-rw-r--r-- 102751 May 24 1992 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
ftp.uu.net
/networking/ip/slip/sun
-rw-r--r-- 102751 Aug 22 1991 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
isfs.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp
/ftpmail/icpcs41.icpc.fukui-u.ac.jp/pub1/net/SLIP
-rw-r--r-- 102751 Sep 20 20:39 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
mojo.ots.utexas.edu
/pub/slip/unix
-rw-rw-r-- 102751 Jul 3 13:03 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
mucket.vast.unsw.edu.au
/pub/network/slip
-rw-rw-r-- 102751 Sep 8 03:57 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
nic.switch.ch
/software/sources/network/cslip
-rw-rw-r-- 102751 Nov 12 19:12 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
/software/unix/network/cslip
-rw-rw-r-- 102751 Nov 12 19:12 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
relay.iunet.it
/disk0/network/slip
-rwxrwxr-x 102751 Apr 18 1992 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
unix.hensa.ac.uk
/pub/uunet/networking/ip/slip/sun
-rw-r--r-- 102751 Aug 22 1991 csn-slip-package.tar.Z
c. cslip
-----
Implements header compression, which should make it usable over 2400 baud
modems. Implementation by Andrew McRae (andrew@megadata.mega.oz.au).
Available from:
dmssyd.syd.dms.csiro.au
/src
-rw-r--r-- 27506 Jan 1 12:48 cslip-sunos4.tar.Z
d. ppp-1.1
-------
PPP for SunOS 4.1.x.
Available from:
dutepp0.et.tudelft.nl
/pub/Unix/Network
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Dec 11 12:19 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
ftp.cayman.com
/pub/ppp/code
-rw-rw-r-- 170074 Jun 27 00:00 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
ftp.cs.uni-sb.de
/pub/misc/sun/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Nov 19 21:04 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
ftp.uu.net
/networking/ip/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Jun 27 00:00 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
minnie.zdv.uni-mainz.de
/pub4/networking/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Sep 18 08:47 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
munnari.oz.au
/pub/net/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 172256 Jun 24 00:00 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
pythia.csi.forth.gr
/mac/cayman/ppp/code
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Aug 26 07:57 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
reseq.regent.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de
/physik.archive/ftp.cayman.com
-rw-r--r-- 172256 Jun 24 00:00 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
wuarchive.wustl.edu
/pub
-rw-r--r-- 170074 Dec 9 07:46 ppp-1.1.tar.Z
e. dp-2.2
------
Written by Kirk Smith (ks@phoenix.acn.purdue.edu),
peter.galvaby@micromuse.ac.uk, and others.
Available from:
cs.huji.ac.il
/pub/network
-rw-rw-rw- 537812 Dec 28 09:40 dp-2.2.tar.Z
ftp.cs.uni-sb.de
/pub/misc/sun/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 537812 Dec 18 09:24 dp-2.2.tar.Z
ftp.uu.net
/networking/ip/ppp
-rw-r--r-- 537812 Dec 14 12:24 dp-2.2.tar.Z
merit.edu
/pub/ppp/dp
-rw-r--r-- 537812 Dec 16 14:03 dp-2.2.tar.Z
qiclab.scn.rain.com
/pub/network
-rw-r--r-- 525171 Dec 31 09:22 dp-2.2.tar.Z
src.doc.ic.ac.uk
/computing/comms/tcpip/ppp/merit/dp
-r--r--r-- 537812 Dec 16 14:03 dp-2.2.tar.Z
/computing/comms/tcpip/ppp/ppp-2.2-beta
-r--r--r-- 537812 Dec 14 12:24 dp-2.2.tar.Z
3. Commercial versions
===================
Commercial versions are worth considering, as they are usually easier to
install, and the vendor usually offers some sort of support to make the
installation process less painful. In the case of SLIP or PPP, which
involves modifying the kernel, this is a bonus. Some people said that the
instructions with the free versions were extremely sparse, whilst others
thought that they were good - it may depend on your familiarity with
similar software. Note also that you are paying for free versions with
the time it takes you to get it to work!
Only one was mentioned by name: Morning Star PPP. It is relatively cheap,
especially with the educational discount. They also offer support.
Following is their spec sheet:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Star PPP At A Glance (PPP version 1.3, June 5, 1992)
Standards Support:
- The Internet standard Point to Point Protocol (PPP), as defined in
RFCs 1331 and 1332 and updated in the most recent drafts, providing
- link-level error detection
- asynchronous control character mapping
- packet size negotiated at connection time
- physical link loopback detection
- IP address negotiation and assignment
- link-level authentication by PAP and CHAP (May 1992 draft)
- PPP Address/Control field and Protocol field compression
- link status monitoring by LQM (RFC 1333)
- The popular Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP), as described in RFC 1055
- automatically detects whether other end does TCP header compression (CSLIP)
Optimal Performance:
- `VJ' TCP packet header compression as described in RFC 1144
- TCP `fast queue' for priority transmission of interactive packets
- Asynchronous speeds as high as <sys/ttydev.h> provides, usually 38400
- Synchronous speeds to T1 (1.544 Mb/sec) or CEPT (2.048 Mb/sec) using our
SnapLink SCSI-attached high speed synchronous serial interface
Ease of Management:
- Easy and extremely flexible configuration
- On-demand link establishment and idle line disconnection
- Flexible `chat script' for connection management
- Packet filtering and logging by protocol, source, destination, etc.
- Flexible daemon implementation
- Operates as either the remote (calling) or hub (answering) site
- Uses most asynchronous modems or dedicated lines, over the workstation's
native serial ports or most aftermarket expansions
- Shares modems with other applications, such as UUCP, or interactive users
- PPP configuration/negotiation problems reported in English
- Monitors link status, reliability, and performance
- Multiple line failover for redundancy and high availability
- Many features are provided to help work around deficiencies in other PPPs
- Thorough, readable documentation includes examples and troubleshooting tips
Wide industry support:
- Currently runs on
- SPARC (Sun-4, SPARCstation, SPARCserver, Solbourne, Tatung, CompuAdd, ...)
- Sun-3 - NeXT
- SCO UNIX - DECstation/Ultrix
- IBM RS/6000 - Silicon Graphics Indigo and Personal Iris
- Coming soon
- BSDI on i386/i486 - Interactive UNIX
- SCO Xenix - HP PA
- VAXstation/Ultrix - SNMP on all platforms
- Interoperates with network connectivity providers
- PSI - AlterNet
- BARRnet - OARnet
- Merit - NEARnet
- any other that provides dialup access via SLIP or PPP
- Interoperates with other asynchronous and synchronous PPPs and SLIPs
- Telebit NetBlazer - FTP Software PC/TCP
- Livingston Portmaster - Livingston IR-4
- 3Com NetBuilder - Brixton Systems BrxPPP
- Cayman GatorBox - cisco AGS, CGS, and IGS
- NAT LANB/280 - Network Systems 6400
- Novell MP Router - Novell Lan WorkPlace
- KA9Q - Perkins/Clements/Fox/Christy free UNIX PPP
- ISC SLIP - Datability terminal server (SLIP)
- Marble Associates SLIP - Xylogics Annex terminal server (SLIP)
- cisco terminal server (SLIP)
? Wellfleet ? Intercon TCP/Connect II (SLIP)
? Proteon ? NCSA
? CSnet/BBN DialupIP ? Xyplex terminal server
- Works with any asynchronous dial-up modem; pre-configured for
- NEC N9631 - Practical Peripherals 9600SA
- Codex 3260 series - Hayes V-series Ultra Smartmodems
- AT&T 2296 - AT&T Datakit
- Forval SA9600, SA14400 - US Robotics V.32 and V.32bis
- UDS V.3224 and V.3229 - Digicom 9624E+ and Neuron FAXmodem 96+
- Telebit TrailBlazer+, T2500, T1600, QBlazer, T3000, and WorldBlazer
You can get all our marketing literature and the entire user guide via
anonymous FTP from ftp.uu.net:vendor/MorningStar/ppp/, in either
mst-ppp-user-guide.ps.Z (nicely formatted PostScript) or
mst-ppp-doc.shar.Z (shell archive of troff sources and more
configuration examples); or from ftp.morningstar.com:pub/ppp; or we'll
be happy to send them to you via electronic mail or even on paper.
For more information, contact Jamey Laskey or Dean Schell of our
marketing group:
Morning Star Technologies
1760 Zollinger Rd
Columbus OH USA 43221
+1 614 451 1883 (voice)
+1 800 558 7827 (voice)
+1 614 459 5054 (FAX)
marketing@morningstar.com (e-mail)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have not yet tried any of these packages, although it is likely that we
will try Morning Star PPP. I hope that this helps people out there who
are planning to set up a SLIP or PPP link.
-- John Brownie School of Mathematics and Statistics | Wycliffe Bible Translators University of Sydney NSW 2006 | Graham Rd Internet: jhb@maths.su.oz.au | Kangaroo Ground Vic 3097 AUSTRALIA
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:07:24 CDT