Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!csc.canterbury.ac.nz!lincoln.ac.nz!brown
From: brown@lincoln.ac.nz
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Repeater count on DEC ethernet and Isolan EtherConnect
Message-ID: <1990Dec19.144011.45@lincoln.ac.nz>
Date: 19 Dec 90 02:28:45 GMT
Lines: 20

Does anyone know why Digital allows only 2 repeaters in the signal path between
any two stations on the network, whereas the 802.3 standard allows 4 repeaters
between any two stations ?

The reason I ask is that we are considering buying a fibre optic hub device.
Digital's Chipcom device is repeaterless but expensive, while the competition's
Isolan EtherConnect hub is classed as a repeater but is cheaper.  We have a
thickwire ethernet network with DEMPRs off it, and propose connecting the hub
to this via a bridge.  Out of the hub, fibre would run to several new
locations on campus, with DELNI/DEMPR at the end of the fibre in order to
run thinwire ethernet within buildings.

Is anyone out there using an Isolan EtherConnect hub with fibre line card in
this configuration ?  What are your experiences ?

With thanks in advance,
Martyn Brown, Centre for Computing and Biometrics, Lincoln University, N.Z.
Internet : m.brown@lincoln.ac.nz
Bitnet   : m.brown%lincoln.ac.nz@relay.cs.net
Fax      : (64)(3)252944