Date   : Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:40:15 +0100 (BST)
From   : chris@... (Chris Johns)
Subject: Is it a bridge? Was: Master Ethernet upgrade

On Tue, 14 Jul 2009, Ian Tonks wrote:

> I think this discussion could run and run ;)

I'd call it a Bridge, in fact I'd call it a BEE (Bridge Econet-Ethernet) 
to go with the BEN (Bridge Econet-Ethernet), but mainly so I could put it 
in a box with black and yellow stripes on it :)

Heres my 2p worth..

If it's purpose is to connect a physical Econet to an AUN-configured IP 
network, that to me sounds like a bridge - you're connecting two econet 
networks together - on one side you have the traditional, 5-pin DIN 
connected Econet, on the other you have the AUN-based Econet - however the 
bridging is done at the Econet level, it's all about stations, nets and 
ports.

This matches what I think the BEN did. One side was Econet, the other was 
the 'virtual Econet' of Nexus.

If you want to use it to route IP-over-Econet (for example to allow a 
machine with EconetA to talk IP to the world beyond it's Econet cabling), 
then I'd say that was a gateway.

Of course, the device could be both, in which case I guess gateway, since 
a gateway is superset of a bridge.
-- 
  Chris Johns <chris@...             >