[comp.dcom.lans] Need info on transceivers...

rds95@leah.Albany.Edu (Robert Seals) (05/02/89)

Hi,

If this is the wrong place or it's been discussed recently, well,
then don't let it give you high blood pressure...

Got any good suggestions for transceivers to thick ethernet backbones?

I ain't no netverk guy, so be nice. I've been warned off "vampire" taps,
and have had one suggestion for 3com's. Why are these things so
expensive? Marketing?

rob

haas@wasatch.utah.edu (Walt Haas) (05/02/89)

In article <1815@leah.Albany.Edu>, rds95@leah.Albany.Edu (Robert Seals) writes:
>..Got any good suggestions for transceivers to thick ethernet backbones?

We like the Cabletron ST-500.

> I've been warned off "vampire" taps...

They work fine if you get them in correctly.

> Why are these things so expensive?

Cabletron's price to Universitys is $165, that doesn't seem too bad.

Cheers  -- Walt Haas    haas@cs.utah.edu    utah-cs!haas

ron@ron.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (05/03/89)

Unless you're in a marine environment (like on board ship), you won't have any
problems from a properly installed vampire tap.  Most everybody these days use
the AMP cable tap.  Putting inline transceivers is a pain, and requires even
greater skill than putting in the vampire taps.  The only warning is that the
AMP orange transciever tool is only good for about ten installations before it
fails to cut the hole adequately and needs to be replaced.

As for recommendations, we almost exclusively use the Cabletron ST500 with
"LANView."  People like the blinking lights and the heartbeat (SQE TEST)
is selectable with a jumper.  We have a few of every type installed though,
so generally, it doesn't matter, buy what's cheap.  The only problem we have
ever had is TCL transcievers that seem to have a less than robust cable
clamp.  While these are fine in an undisturbed area, we've found that they
can work their way into causing the entire cable to fail under a couple of
occasions.

-Ron

pat@hfsi.UUCP (Pat) (05/09/89)

   We use AMP cable taps and Excelan transceivers. No I don't know if Excelan
really made these or just stuck their name on them.  Warnock reccomended
to me that when you are doing taps, get a TDR and check the line out.
It's a good way to verify the taps and also really impresses the non-tech's
too :-).  What do you consider expensive?  Maybe you are thinking vcompared
to thin ethernet but that's a whole different beast.


   Organization only for Identification purposes only.
  All statements are personal opinions only.