Not having read this thread...  but RS232 does not have the performance
of Ethernet...

The line drivers in RS232 may be pushable to 250kb/s (0.25mb/s),
depending on the capacitance of the cable, but Ethernet can go 10mb/s,
or 100mb/s with Fast Ethernet.  I also don't see a serial UART going
that fast without causing all sorts of grief.

As far as solidity...  If the endpoints are using TCP (stream TCP/IP), I
would expect reliable connections with problems only if the network
traffic and/or collision rate is so poor that you time-out.  If they are
using UDP (datagram TCP/IP), that is a problem, but, still, if they are
they should have the retry logic built in.  (I mention UDP only as it is
possible, though not probable - I do not know what ADSM uses, but I
assume its TCP, not UDP.)

Perhaps you should have your network people look at this very, very
carefully.  You may be having some other problem that you or they may be
attributing to ADSM when, in reality, it may be a bad link or connection
somewhere or a mis-configuration.

"Williams, Tim" wrote:
>
>         Just another note on Ethernet vs rs232....
>         I've seen our lan have so much traffic that it has hampered
> communications between the RS6000 and the 3494...this type of connection
>         is also subject to any adverse changes between the rs6000 and the
> 3494.....
>         rs232 on the other hand should be a very solid connection
>         Although we have both..I've only seen "broken pipe" messages/issues
> with the Ethernet connection.
>         FYI Thanks Tim
>
>         Eric Tang <tangeric AT HK1.IBM DOT COM>
>         08/20/2000 09:42 PM
>         To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU@SMTP@Exchange
>         cc:
>
>         Subject:        Re: 3494 and RS6000 SP connection
>
>         Yes, the 9-pin port on the rear. As the cable is having 25-pin
> connector on
>         both end, you will need a 9to25pin rs232 connector on the RS6000
> side.
>         Thanks.
>
>         Regards,
>         Eric Tang