Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sgi!karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com
From: karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com (Bruce Karsh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Ethernet connections on PI
Keywords: Personal Iris, ethernet connectors
Message-ID: <110033@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: 13 Jun 91 11:45:31 GMT
References: <346@ra.nrl-cmf.UUCP>
Sender: news@sgi.sgi.com
Reply-To: karsh@trifolium.sgi.com (Bruce Karsh)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 26

In article <346@ra.nrl-cmf.UUCP> schuette@orion.nrl.navy.mil (Larry Schuette) writes:

>I have to respond to this 'cause, Dave, I strongly disagree.  IMHO the
>ethernet connector on the PI is the PI's single biggest flaw.  

The Ethernet connector is Ethernet's single biggest flaw.  It a (sub)standard
though.

>Yes, it is possible to connect the cable, and put the case back on the PI.
>It's even possible to get the connector to stay connected, until somebody
>bumps the machine with his feet (PI's end up under desks and "out of the
>way").  Of course, when the machine is bumped, the cable comes undone
>and the NFS disk farms begin to complain.  And, my biggest complaint,
>I crawl under the desk (to the back of it with all the dust balls) to 
>reconnect the cable.

Some old ethernet tranceiver cables are very stiff.  Others are more flexible.
The one I'm using now is Cabletron P/N 9300045-10 and it works well in my
PI.

Also, make sure to close the latch on the connector properly.  They're not
great latches, but they are strong enough to withstand a fair degree of
cable-handling.

			Bruce Karsh
			karsh@sgi.com