The fundamental disconnect here is that a bunch of Layer 3 guys are trying to define Layer 2.
History shows us that Layer 2 winds up being IEEE, and Layer 3 IETF. ITU-T and others write long "standards" that wind up not being so, due to too many "options", while spending lots of money and keeping the airlines, rental car companies, and meeting space vendors in business. If you want "Real Ethernet" (IE multiple access, not point to point) in a metro framework, then why increase the likelihood of collisions by using jumbo frames? If you want to use Ethernet in point to point, then do it, just make sure your optics are up to the task, and the endpoints are configured properly. If what you're looking for is carrier Ethernet with the sort of "craft" interfaces and features you're used to from the telco world, then you may want to talk to Ipitek. (I've done some consulting for them, but am in no way affiliated or compensated for sales.) >-----Original Message----- >From: Mikael Abrahamsson [mailto:swm...@swm.pp.se] >Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 11:33 AM >To: Ricky Beam >Cc: nanog@nanog.org >Subject: Re: Point to Point Ethernet > >On Wed, 8 Jul 2009, Ricky Beam wrote: > >> Ethernet is not a point-to-point technology. It is a multi-point >> (broadcast, bus, etc.) technology with DECADES of optimization and >> adoption. No one has gotten IEEE to adopt a larger frame size, and >you >> want to drop *fundamental* elements of ethernet?!? > >I think the latest suggestion was to do away with the mechanisms, not >change the frame format. It's like when you take a /30, run isis/ospf >over >it and tell the routing protocol it's a point to point link so it >doesn't >have to create a node for the "multi access network" that really isn't >there. > >Same way here, putting the ethernet link in "p2p" mode would mean it >wouldnt do arp anymore, didn't care about source or destination MACs, it >just installed static ARP entry for other end and sent out packets, >other >end would be in promisc mode and accept anything. > >I don't see much gain from this though, and it's another way things can >be >configured wrong and cause havoc if you connect this interface to a LAN. > >-- >Mikael Abrahamsson email: swm...@swm.pp.se
