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From: foster@seismo.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Thin Ethernet drop cables
Message-ID: <43715@beno.seismo.CSS.GOV>
Date: Thu, 23-Apr-87 07:57:52 EST
Article-I.D.: beno.43715
Posted: Thu Apr 23 07:57:52 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Apr-87 04:15:37 EST
References: <207@nih-csl.UUCP>
Reply-To: foster@beno.CSS.GOV.UUCP (Glen Foster)
Distribution: world
Organization: Center for Seismic Studies, Arlington, VA
Lines: 22
Keywords: Ethernet thin-net cheapnet cheapernet

What you're proposing is officially a no-no, however I have heard (from
a 3Com salesman) that people have tried it and gotten away with it but
the practical limit seems to be about 3 feet.  His position is "try it,
if it doesn't work, go by the spec."

There is also a "legal" way to do drop cables with thin ethernet but it
requires the additional cost of xcvrs and xcvr cables.  There is an
adaptor (looks like a barrel connector that is threaded on one end)
that allows a TCL "vampire" transceiver to be attached to a "T"
connector in thin ethernet.  I've tried these and they work fine.

Can anyone tell me if the wires in a xcvr cable are "special" in any
way?  If I were to make up a cable from high quality "RS-232C" "type"
cable (AWG 22 I think, maybe 24's) would I have a reasonable chance of
success?  The xcvr cable conductors appear to be AWG 20 to my untrained
eye, perhaps if I doubled the 22/24's?  My reason for wanting to do
this?  I have about 30 unused "serial" cables (12 conductor) running
through a secure area and it would be a lot easier to rewire the ends
than to run new cables through the area.

Thanks in advance,
Glen