Network Stack Code Re-write (Possible motivations...?)

[RW]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:54:24 -0500
Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local at be-well.ilk.org> wrote:

> However,
> commercial routers generally do not use their OS kernel this way -- it
> is far more common that the kernel does send and receive packets
> within its native IP stack.  

If I'm understanding you right, I'm surprised by that (the native part).
It make any proprietary software less portable.  You're also tying your
code into third-party internals, which sounds like a maintenance
problem. I would have thought that the likes of Cisco and Alcatel
etc would would have reusable codebases that abstract the OS and
minimize OS dependencies.

What's the advantage, don't routers usually lead OS's in terms
of new protocol support?