chas@stax.uchicago.edu (Charles Blair) (02/16/91)
I've heard about plastic fiber, and I would like to know more about it. Is it Ethernet compatible? If not, can I nevertheless run TCP/IP over it? Are there, or will there soon be, boards which currently accept it? (When) do people expect this technology to become common? My reasons for asking these questions are practical: Should I wait a few years for this technology, keeping existing (shielded twisted pair) wiring in place and connecting it to a terminal server, then replacing it in a few years with plastic fiber, or should I go with current Ethernet technology now, and the boards and software that support it? My experience is with 3COM 503 Etherlink II and FTP software -- anything I would wait for would have to give me at least this level of functionality, i.e., the software to take advantage of the hardware is an important consideration. In short, do I live with 9600 baud for a few more years, or switch to Ethernet now? Thanks in advance. -- Bitnet: pmrcjdb@uchimvs1 Internet: cjdb@midway.uchicago.edu