Colored Backgrounds

[Steve Lamb]

Monday, December 13, 1999, 9:48:46 AM, David wrote:
> Please could you explain what you believe the limits to be ?

    Each point along the pipe has a limit.  My cable is limited not only by
policy, but by physical connection.  Then, on top of that the connection from
my cable provider out to my ISP has a limit.  Continue on up the pipe.  Now,
if the routers cannot process the packets in time then there is another limit.
There are physical limits on the cards themselves.  They can only process so
much data at a time.  That relates to the limits on the electronic devices and
how fast they can switch on and off.  There are limits on the memory involved.
Routers can only hold routing tables so large before they simply don't route
to new networks or start dropping "old" ones.  Power in each location can
limit bandwidth because you can't just simply add more and more boxes into the
mix infinitely.

    Need I go on or will you concede that there are numerous limits on
bandwidth at present and regardless of how fast we break those barriers we're
generally begging for a break in the barrier because we're at the bursting
point when it comes.

    I just sat in on a meeting discussing not only LAN issues but WAN issues
and all of the problems associated with them.  I learned a lot when it comes
to the limits of overall interoperability between different service providers
that make the Internet tick.  It isn't pretty.

-- 
         Steve C. Lamb         | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
         ICQ: 5107343          | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
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