Many benefits, no magic bus, in networking trenches

Network protocols save time and money on installation and maintenance, and improve monitoring, diagnostics, and data, but true open systems, plug-and-play, and Ethernet's takeover have not arrived, yet. Though some initial Ethernet application and solutions are underway, most users and manufacturers still seem like they are too busy enjoying the savings and efficiencies gained from adopting more established networking protocols. Updates on several established network protocols and users' experiences using them in applications are discussed.