alton@sys-a (Alton Brantley) (05/03/91)
To enable communication between two routers in the Medical Center hubs,
we are planning to use ethernet cards as an interim measure until the
FDDI backbone is installed.
To connect each router's ethernet card we are considering using the fiber
optic cable already installed with fiber optic tranceivers to
convert from AUI to fiber.
The device that we selected is a Cabletron FOTF-2 Fiber Optic Transceiver at
a cost of $350 each (we will use one at each end to convert from AUI to fiber
then back to AUI.) Since the routers will not be delivered until the "last
minute" I am concerned that this will be a working solution. I spoke to the
Cabletron salesman who believed that this will work, but he left me skeptical.
The following is a taken from the Cabletron catalog:
FOTF-1 and FOTF-2 Fiber Optic Transceivers
Calbetron's FOTF-1 and FOTF-2 comply with the IEEE
802.3 Fiber Optic Inter Repeater Link (FOIRL) standard
and operate at a full 10 Mbps data rates. Both transceivers
are compatible with popular multi-mode fiber cable types
and can drive distances up to 3 km using 50, 62.5 or 100
micron core cabling. The difference between the two transceivers
are the connectors provided. The FOTF-1 is equipped with SMA connectors
while the FOTF-2 has ST connectors.
This looks to me like a good solution. After the backbone is installed there
may be a further use for this equipment. The ethernet cards that I specified
are 2E cards.
I would appreciate the net's opinion of the Cisco-Cabletron configuration
because of the limited time between delivery and implementation requirement.
Thanks for your help.
Rick
--
B. Alton Brantley, Jr alton@cit.hmc.psu.edu
The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Penn State College of Medicine
Hershey, PA USA 17033robelr@ucs.indiana.edu (Allen Robel) (05/06/91)
In comp.dcom.sys.cisco article <mdmuG.u#+1@atlantis.psu.edu> you wrote: >I would appreciate the net's opinion of the Cisco-Cabletron configuration >because of the limited time between delivery and implementation requirement. We're using the Cabletron FOT-F2 with our cisco's and the combination works. Go for it... Allen Robel robelr@mythos.ucs.indiana.edu University Computing Services ROBELR@IUJADE.BITNET Network Research & Planning voice: (812)855-7171 Indiana University FAX: (812)855-8299
phil@shl.com (Phil Trubey) (05/09/91)
In article <mdmuG.u#+1@atlantis.psu.edu> alton@sys-a (Alton Brantley) writes: >To connect each router's ethernet card we are considering using the fiber >optic cable already installed with fiber optic tranceivers to >convert from AUI to fiber. > >The device that we selected is a Cabletron FOTF-2 Fiber Optic Transceiver at >a cost of $350 each (we will use one at each end to convert from AUI to fiber >then back to AUI.) I don't think this will work. The problem is that the FOTs expect to be plugged into a fiber optic module in a Cabletron hub. I don't believe they will work back to back as you suggested. I would like to receive confirmation about this myself - I would strongly suggest that you talk to a Cabletron SE, engineer, or whatever they call themselves rather than a salesperson. -- Phil Trubey | Internet: phil@shl.com SHL Systemhouse Inc. | UUCP: ...!uunet!shl!phil 50 O'Connor St., Suite 501 | Phone: 613-236-6604 x667 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Fax: 613-236-2043
lim@slc6.INS.CWRU.Edu (Hock Koon Lim) (05/10/91)
In article <1991May09.144306.3930@shl.com> phil@shl.com (Phil Trubey) writes: >In article <mdmuG.u#+1@atlantis.psu.edu> alton@sys-a (Alton Brantley) writes: >>To connect each router's ethernet card we are considering using the fiber >>optic cable already installed with fiber optic tranceivers to >>convert from AUI to fiber. >> >>The device that we selected is a Cabletron FOTF-2 Fiber Optic Transceiver at >>a cost of $350 each (we will use one at each end to convert from AUI to fiber >>then back to AUI.) > >I don't think this will work. The problem is that the FOTs expect to be >plugged into a fiber optic module in a Cabletron hub. I don't believe >they will work back to back as you suggested. I would like to receive >confirmation about this myself - I would strongly suggest that you talk to >a Cabletron SE, engineer, or whatever they call themselves rather than >a salesperson. > Your thinking is wrong. The FOT can be connect together by a fiber cable and both end could be connect to a Ethernet Interface through the AUI cable. This setup will connect two AUI ports together. You can look at it this way. The fiber is like your Thickwire Ethernet cable and the FOT is your transciver that tap into the cable. The FOT can work independently without the FOMIM board and the IRM. -- Hock-Koon Lim, Information Network services Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44106 (216) 368-2982 lim@ins.cwru.edu
kabara@alw.nih.gov (Joe Kabara) (05/13/91)
you can use the Cabletron FOTs back-to-back, you just need to put a repeater between the tap on your etherent and the FOT you try to hook up to this. We have used this setup at NIH, and it has worked. As an alternerative, you could look at some porducts by FIBERMUX, it makes the fiber look like a long AUI cable. It still requires power for the end by the cable tap, but doesnot need a repeater. joe -- The above comments are the sole responsibilty of the author, they in no way reflect the official policies of this, or any other government. They may or may not be based in historical fact or fiction.
young@alw.nih.gov (Jeff Young) (05/14/91)
To accomplish this task, we use products from Fibercom. They work very well as fiber extension cords. Contact either myself or brunetti@alw.nih.gov for any further details. -- ___________ jy young@heart.dcrt.nih.gov
ssw@ogre.cica.indiana.edu (Steve Wallace) (05/14/91)
In <1475@nih-csl.nih.gov> kabara@alw.nih.gov (Joe Kabara) writes: >you can use the Cabletron FOTs back-to-back, you just need to put a repeater >between the tap on your etherent and the FOT you try to hook up to this. These FOTs also work back-to-back to another DTE device, like a router. We connection ciscos to ciscos and the combo works well. When we are trying to connect a remote ethernet to a cisco via fiber, we use the DEC fiber optic repeater at the far end. It works just fine in with the cabletron FOT. -- ==================================================================== Steven Wallace | wallaces@ucs.indiana.edu (internet) Manager Network Operations | wallaces@iubacs (bitnet) Indiana University | (812) 855 - 0960 (voice) ====================================================================
lim@slc6.INS.CWRU.Edu (Hock Koon Lim) (05/14/91)
In article <ssw.674176449@ogre> ssw@ogre.cica.indiana.edu (Steve Wallace) writes: >In <1475@nih-csl.nih.gov> kabara@alw.nih.gov (Joe Kabara) writes: > >>you can use the Cabletron FOTs back-to-back, you just need to put a repeater >>between the tap on your etherent and the FOT you try to hook up to this. > >These FOTs also work back-to-back to another DTE device, like a router. >We connection ciscos to ciscos and the combo works well. When we Yes, it work well in this configuration. >are trying to connect a remote ethernet to a cisco via fiber, we >use the DEC fiber optic repeater at the far end. It works just >fine in with the cabletron FOT. You mean you can connect the firber port of the DEC fiber optic repeater to the fiber port of the Cabletron FOTs? I thought that only the FOIRL equipment will work together over fiber. I don't think the DEC fiber optic repeater is the FOIRL equipment. -- Hock-Koon Lim, Information Network services Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44106 (216) 368-2982 lim@ins.cwru.edu
ssw@ogre.cica.indiana.edu (Steve Wallace) (05/15/91)
In <1991May14.133313.27410@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> lim@slc6.INS.CWRU.Edu (Hock Koon Lim) writes: > You mean you can connect the firber port of the DEC fiber optic repeater >to the fiber port of the Cabletron FOTs? I thought that >only the FOIRL equipment will work together over fiber. I don't think >the DEC fiber optic repeater is the FOIRL equipment. The current DEC FO repeaters, sorry don't have the model numbers at home, support FOIRL and DEC modes (switch setting). -- ==================================================================== Steven Wallace | wallaces@ucs.indiana.edu (internet) Manager Network Operations | wallaces@iubacs (bitnet) Indiana University | (812) 855 - 0960 (voice) ====================================================================