kwe@bu-cs.BU.EDU (kwe@bu-it.bu.edu (Kent W. England)) (01/13/88)
In article <3872@ames.arpa> lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster) writes: >Does anyone have any recommendations for adaptors to connect a >thinwire-only controller (on the back of a VAXstation) to a >regular drop cable. >All the rest of the cable plant in question is regular Ethernet. Assuming you don't want to actually cut-up your existing thick cable, there isn't much choice. If you are going to install a lot of these you have to run thinnet and use DEMPRs (actually I would use Cabletron multiport repeaters, but you know what I mean). DEC and/or 3Com's "PairTamers" that convert coax to unshielded twisted pair might save some cable installing. If you have a few VAXstations, there are vendors that will be selling single-port, compact repeaters for maybe around $800 or so that will do the job of repeating between the thin segment and the thick one, but any repeater will do the job (with the right transceivers). If you cluster these renegade workstations, the per station cost of the repeater will come down accordingly. You can daisy-chain a cluster of workstations in a lab and not run into too many maintenance headaches. Demonstrates pretty convincingly that DEC has learned how to out-arrogate IBM. Don't ask DEC whether you need thin Ethernet or not, they know their business and to make sure you don't make any mistakes they will leave the $3.18 MAU connector off their workstations and PC cards. It MUST be by the book, the DEConnect book, that is. And the book says thin. Anybody ever ask a DEC salesman or engineer whether DEC will offer anything other than Ethernet? Like StarLAN or token ring? They look at you funny and say "You don't need anything other than Ethernet." And, for workstations, you don't need anything other than thin Ethernet. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Kent W. England | Boston University Network & Systems Engineering Group | Information Technology kwe@bu-it.bu.edu internet | 111 Cummington Street itkwe@bostonu BITnet | Boston, MA 02215 harvard!bu-cs!kwe UUCP | (617) 353-2780 -------------------------------------------------------------------
miket@ccicpg.UUCP (Mike Tracy) (01/14/88)
This probably won't help your immediate problem of connecting a
thin-lan to a normal ethernet cable, but I was reading about
a product called LattisNet. It apparently is a twisted pair ethernet.
It uses a star type of topology and phone lines (unshielded twisted pairs)
to make a low cost ethernet.
Does anyone know if the system is any good ?
Michael D. Tracy Computer Consoles Incorporated
(714)458-7282 9801 Muirlands Boulevard
Irvine, CA 92718
{allegra!hplabs!felix,seismo!rlgvax}!ccicpg!miketgarrett@udel.EDU (Joel Garrett) (01/15/88)
In article <9177@ccicpg.UUCP> miket@ccicpg.UUCP (Mike Tracy) writes: ... >thin-lan to a normal ethernet cable, but I was reading about >a product called LattisNet. It apparently is a twisted pair ethernet. >It uses a star type of topology and phone lines (unshielded twisted pairs) >to make a low cost ethernet. > >Does anyone know if the system is any good ? > Actually, Lattisnet allows you to run ethernet protocols over Fiber, Twisted Pairs (shielded and unshielded). We will be using the Shielded Twisted Pair host modules to give us Ethernet over our equivalent to IBM's shielded pairs cable in our new building. The local var for Synoptics just came out this past monday to perform a live test on a sample of our cabling and using some of our ethernet equipment that will end up on the new building network. All worked like a charm! Joel Garrett Center for Composite Materials University of Delaware garrett@udel.edu
mechgam@tness1.UUCP (Gary Mink 713+521-6958) (01/22/88)
3Com has a product called the Multiconnect, a Modular Multiport Repeater.
My product information sheet says, "Repeater Modules provide connections
to Thick Ethernet, Thin Ethernet, Fiber and Twisted Pair..." The
Multiconnect can have 15 modules of different types in any combination.
Does anybody have any experience with this unit?
--
Gary A. Mink
Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. (713) 521-6958
mechgam@tness1!uucp
{ihnp4,bellcore,killer,petro}!tness1!mechgam