Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!psueea!parsely!bucket!leonard
From: leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Req For Info - Ethernet Electrical Rules/Specs
Message-ID: <1715@bucket.UUCP>
Date: 19 Oct 89 06:51:51 GMT
References: <188.2526de30@acci.com> <580@trwind.UUCP> <850@maxim.erbe.se> <410@wcc.oz>
Organization: Rick's Home-Grown UNIX; Portland, OR.
Lines: 35

tom@wcc.oz (Tom Evans) writes:

>OK. What we ALL want (:-) is to have the cheapernet in the wall where
>it can't be broken, tripped over, left unconnected. What we want is
>a BNC on the wall, one on the back of the machine and a simple cable
>connecting the two. Too bad the electrical specs won't allow it

It can *be* that simple. We've got BNC connectors at the wallplate. We
run a cable from the wall plate to the computer where it attaches to a
tee and a terminator. 

The in wall wiring runs to a ptch panel in the local equipment room.
So at that end of the cable we run a jumper cable from a DEMPR to
the BNC on the patch panel.  Everything in the equipment room is
rack mounted. 

The DEMPRs connect to the DecNet backbone and we carry the backbone
between buildings on fiber. It works quite well.

We have several connections in most spaces and even if we do run out 
of connections in an area, we can just attach the new machine to an
existing machine until we get around to adding a new drop (if needed)
The best part is that the worst some user can do is knock his machine
and and maybe one or two others that are daisy chained on it.  

Yeah, I know, it's a *star* configuration, but it *works*. We've got
a few machines on some old wiring that predates the DecNet. They are
a pain because unless you have a diagram handy you have to assume 
that you can't do anything we the cabling except disconnect the tee
from the computer... I'll be glad when they're gone.
-- 
Leonard Erickson		...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools.
Let's start with typewriters." -- Solomon Short