Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

    Mark it would involve both adding more flash memory back in
    and of course developing a new image for it. Major change.
    This product as I recall did go through some market research
    as far as cost per port, and it is significantly lower than
    the DECswitch 900EF cost/port. I don't have the figures, but
    perhaps Karl Pieper or Hakeem Dhilla (both product managers
    who have worked on and currently work on respectively), the
    DECswitch family, can come up with some comparisons with the
    competitors of this product.
    It is truely intended as a "Desktop Switch" rather than a 
    "Departmental Switch" product.
    So apparently at the time the product was conceived (just a year
    ago), there was a "Desktop" market it was compared to, and it was 
    seen as being very competitive in terms of cost per port with respect
    to its performance.
    There are "cut-through" switches which don't have the ability to
    switch between dissimilar networks, have no packet translation
    fragmentation support, & don't have redundant link support to name
    a few deficiencies in cut-through switches.
    The competitors for the PEswitch 900TX are companies like Kalpana,
    Grand Junction, Network Peripherals (cut-through switches), and 
    UB Networks (does IEEE 802.1 switching).
    
    >can't be used to connect many Ethernet LANs because of the addressing
    >limitations.
    It wasn't intended to connect to many LANs in a Desktop environment.
    
    So Mark if you have some strong feelings about the price of the PEswitch,
    send Hakeem (& copy Karl on it), a note telling them what you've
    experienced with customers when working with this product against the 
    competition.
    
    Bob

    While Bob is correct about reduction of flash code memory, which is
    incidentally why this product cannot be upgraded to a router, it would
    be easy to remove the limited address restriction (work had to be done
    to impose it for the PEswitch).  This product is intended only
    to fill the "Personal Ethernet" gap until the higher density products
    being worked upon are released; not to be sold in large quantities or
    compete with the DECswitch 900EF.  It is a very low-margin product.
    
    Anil

    I appreciate all the responses.  I am of the feeling that if this
    product had 8000 addresses across all ports it would increase NPGs
    sales competitive stance in the ethernet switch market.  My point is as
    follows:
    
    Would rather win selling 6 PEswicth 900TXs or lose selling 6 DECswitch
    900EFs because of price? The DS900EF is twice the price of the PS900TX. 
    When you win a piece of the networking business, you generally get more
    down the road as the customer as more pieces here and there.  When you
    lose the business, that same customer will be going to the vendor who
    won for the future pieces.
    
    I know you cannot put 8 of these switches into a hub because of power
    restriction, so you run them outside with the DEChub ONE-MX and rack
    mount tem.  Even at that, the PEswitch 900TX would cost $4795, still
    much lower than a DS900EF and very competitive.  If the customer needs
    the routing option, then they buy the DS900EF.
    
    Regards,
    
    Mark
    

    
    Be careful on the price for the config. If you want to use this as a
    standalone switch, you need:
    
    1 PEswitch 900TX $3995.00
    1 DEChub One MX $990.
    2 Modular PMDs (UTP, MMF, SMF) 
    
    At a non-discounted price level, this is more than $4795.

    You have a point.  Note that the DEChub ONE-MX is $800.  I would laso
    need one MMF MOD-PMD at $500.  This brings the cost to $3995 + $800 +
    $500 = $5295.  Still a good price.
    
    Mark
    
    PS	The only thing I can think of that NPG sells for $990 is power
    	supplies for the DH900.
    

    I would like to endorse what Mark is saying on the Ethernet address
    limit. As this product stands it is not competitive on price with the
    newer generation of switches - 3COM Linkswitch is a fraction of the
    price, Cisco catalyst street price is lower and has many advantages
    including IP, RMON etc.
    
    As the product stands - it is medium to high priced
    			    low density - 
    			    doesn't scale well to higher densities
    			    lacks software/firmware support for virtual
    			    lans
    To justify the product we need to position it as a desktop switch that
    scales up into the department where routing isn't required.
    
    ross