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From: gnu@hoptoad.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Thin Ethernet really works...
Message-ID: <735@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Wed, 23-Apr-86 07:49:57 EST
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.735
Posted: Wed Apr 23 07:49:57 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Apr-86 07:23:37 EST
Organization: Nebula Consultants in San Francisco
Lines: 20

We just finished installing a Sun-3/50 as a client of our Sun-3/160.
When it arrived with just a BNC-to-BNC cable and a BNC T-connector,
I figured it would take a while to get the hardware connection (to a
3Com "Big Ethernet" transceiver) going.

Turns out that the local Zack Electronics store stocks BNC-to-Type N
(big ether barrel connector) adapters, as well as 50-ohm terminating
resistors with BNC connectors.  They also had a 15-pin straight thru
cable for hooking up the 3Com transceiver to the 160.  I plugged it all
in and it worked!

I can see why 3Com pushed Thin Ethernet -- it's easy and the parts
are available locally.  For all I know, Radio Shack has what you need.
[I will note that a local audio supplier which carries the 3Com product
line wanted to sell me the same stuff for twice the price.]

Why did xeroX go with expensive custom cabling originally?  They figured
that standard TV style thin cables wouldn't permit a big enough network?
-- 
John Gilmore  {sun,ptsfa,lll-crg,ihnp4}!hoptoad!gnu   jgilmore@lll-crg.arpa