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Tracking progress in LAN plumbing is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it, so I keep my all-inclusive chronological list of LAN alternatives (see chart).
The Roseville Networks Division of Hewlett-Packard Co. was unhappy when I complained in my September 20, 1993, column about its new LAN technology. (See "The keeper of Ethernet brand does the wave," page 52.) I objected to the company calling it Fast Ethernet and ramming it through the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards committee.
Since September, HP has recruited IBM as a strong supporter of its Demand Priority technology, and HP has given it a new IBMish name, 100VG-AnyLAN. Meanwhile, the IEEE has booted Demand Priority out of Ethernet's 802.3 CSMA/CD committee. Now HP has started to ship early IEEE 802.12 products. (See "HP hubs and adapters rev Ethernet LANs to 100Mbps," April 25, page 50.) That's progress.
So, after calling HP about my making the 3-hour drive up to Roseville to learn how "VG" actually works, I worried that they might lure me up there and bury the body. Instead, the division's strategic planning manager, Brice Clark, and the chairwoman of IEEE...