[net.lan] Will the real DELNI restriction please stand up?

waters@viking.DEC (Lester Waters) (06/09/85)

Thanks to all of you who responded to my question about the impact of
a DELNI in an ethernet configuration. Here are the results:

	A DELNI essentially represents a length of cable in the
	ethernet calculations: The lengths are:

		3 people said:	5 meters

		3 people said:	10 meters

		1 person said:	15 meters


*sigh*

			Lester Waters
			...!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-viking!waters
			Waters%Viking.DEC@DECWRL   (ARPA)

russell@acf4.UUCP (06/10/85)

Quoting from the DEC "1985 April to June Edition of 'Networks & Communications
Buyer`s Guide' pages 4.20-4.21 (Configuration Guidelines):

The DELNI hierarchical stand-alone configuration (Fig 4.19) supports a
combination of DELNIs and devices using standard Ethernet transceiver cables
up to 50 meters (164 feet) away for other DELNI and between 40 and 45 meters
(131.2 & 147.6 feet) depending on the communications controller.

... (DELNI connected to a H4000 transceiver) ...  The total maximum length
of transceiver cable is 40 meters (131.2 feet).


This Buyer's Guide is a MUST (and it is FREE!!!) for anyone using DEC
Ethernet objects.  Just ask your DEC saleperson.

Bill Russell,
(user of at least 6 DELNIs)
Manager of Networks

jmg@cernvax.UUCP (06/12/85)

In article <2740001@acf4.UUCP> russell@acf4.UUCP (Bill Russell) writes:
>Quoting from the DEC "1985 April to June Edition of 'Networks & Communications
>Buyer`s Guide' pages 4.20-4.21 (Configuration Guidelines):
>
>The DELNI hierarchical stand-alone configuration (Fig 4.19) supports a
>combination of DELNIs and devices using standard Ethernet transceiver cables
>up to 50 meters (164 feet) away for other DELNI and between 40 and 45 meters
>(131.2 & 147.6 feet) depending on the communications controller.

The DELNI Installation/Owners manual  starts by saying that a DELNI allows
work stations "over a 20 meter (65 foot) square". Then, later, it says
"NOTE: Check for any cable length restrictions by referring to the
appropriate installation manual for each station's ETHERNET controller.

Can you imagine what happens when you want to use a non-DEC controller,
and you ask the manufacturer of the controller what are the length
restrictions? I have tried it, and the answer is non-informative.

Also, DEC say that you should not hang a DELNI on a DELNI on a real
ETHERNET. Of course, it works, and if we had the real DELNI specs we
could perhaps see why. Maybe one can hang them n-deep (we have enough
here to try small integers for n).

My feeling is that we want a technical specification for a DELNI. Neither
a buyer's guide (trying to get you to buy it) nor an installation
manual (when you already have it) is the correct place for such a spec.

p.s. After the various remarks about troubles with DELNIs I shall test
an equivalent product from another manufacturer. Maybe the grass in the
next field really will be greener.