[HECnet] Need help with DECnet routing

"Brett" == Brett Bump <bbump at rsts.org> writes: Brett> Marc you might also double check your cabling (in fact even Brett> change them). As I recall, DECnet (like IPX) is not an error Brett> correcting protocol. I've worked on networks where TCP will Brett> error correct for poor cabling while the Novell connections Brett> fell flat on their faces. This could explain why your IP Brett> connection seems to work fine, but you have no DECnet Brett> connectivity. That seems strange. DECnet (NSP) is just like TCP in that it handles lost packets. Bad cables will produce lost packets but they will not produce corrupted packets. Corrupted packets are caused by defective switches or routers. Bad cables only cause CRC errors. (Well, except for the EXTREMELY low probability of a random error getting past the Ethernet CRC.) You're right that TCP detects corrupted packets (some of them, anyway -- TCP checksum is pretty weak) while NSP does not. But if you see TCP checksum errors, the way to fix them is not to change the cabling, but the defective switches/routers. paul