jeff@drexel.Drexel.edu (Jeff White) (07/13/87)
I have a question about computers or ethernet boards that have both thinwire (BNC connector) and transceiver (DB-15 conn.) outputs (independent of manufacturer). With one of these boards, are both outputs active at the same time? For example, suppose you are using the transceiver output, with a transceiver attached to a thick wire ethernet cable (typical of most installations). What happens if you now attach 1 or more stations to the same interface board using the thinwire output. Will this 'master' station be able to talk to all the stations on both the thinwire and thickwire cables? Will all the stations appear to be located on 1 common backbone cable, or will the stations on the thinwire and thickwire be isolated from one another? If they are isolated, can the 'master' (common) station act as a gateway? Originally, I just assumed that for some reason both outputs wouldn't be usable at the same time. However, after thinking about it for a while, it seems to me that if there isn't any type of switch which specifically selects one output, that both should be functional at the same time. If replies are via email and I get a definitive answer, I'll summarize the findings to the net. Jeff White Drexel University - ECE Dept. seismo!presby!drexel!jeff
ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (07/14/87)
At least on the Sun 3/50's you have to choose. You do this by means of eight dipswitches on the CPU board. -Ron
jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry F Aguirre) (07/14/87)
I can only speak from limited experience but, no, both outputs are not active at the same time. There is a jumper on the board to select which interface is active. If you want to connect a thin ethernet to a thick ethernet then there are two ways. The first is to buy a simple BNC to N adapter and plug the cables togther. The restrictions on length and number of connections have to be followed of course. The second is to use a box to connect them. The simplest is a repeater. Lots of people make them and there are also multi-port repeaters that can connect several ethernet segments together. More sophisticated boxes can handle routing and isolate traffic.