[e2e] use of MAC addresses

[Detlef Bosau]

Puddinhead Wilson wrote:
> Scale up for what?
> Reachability and switching methods and end point
> identifiers are all different topics.
> 

Reachability / Throughput.

In principle, you can interconnect all computers in the world via a flat 
Ethernet. (Define a "DS-Ethernet" := Deep Sea Ethernet for 
intercontinental lines if necessary.)

How large will the switching tables be?

Can we extend this until the switching tables grow beyond all limits?
And so does the processing time on routers?

How much papers did you see which take into account the processing delay 
of a packet on a switch / router?

I personally did not see that many.

Routing is a wonderful topic. I´ve seen even people talking about 
"GeoCast". (Totally outdated IMHO, I think the minimum should be 
GalaxyCast or UniCast, which means not Unicast but Universe Cast ;-))

In my opinion, the most basic reason for IP´s success is that IP 
addresses both for nodes and networks as well make addressing, 
subnetting and routing outstandingly simple.

If I ever were to tell three strokes of genius which make 
internetworking work, the IP addressing scheme were surely among them.

Detlef



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Detlef Bosau
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