Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ncar!noao!amethyst!spock!chris
From: chris@spock (Chris Ott)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Do you know about TCL?
Message-ID: <853@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu>
Date: 16 Nov 88 17:49:07 GMT
Sender: news@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu
Reply-To: chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu (Chris Ott)
Organization: Computer-Aided Engr. Lab (CAEL), University of Arizona, Tucson
Lines: 37


     Sure, I've heard of TCL. Silicon Graphics ships TCL Ethernet
transceivers with their IRISes. We also bought a multiport transceiver
from them. After a year and a half, we've never had any problem with
either of them. The single TCL trancseivers aren't as pretty as the 3 Com
transceivers, but they sure are a heck of a lot easier to install.

     The multiport transceivers are great. You take a single transceiver,
attach it to the Ethernet coax, and plug the drop cable into a port on
the multiport box. Then you can plug eight computers into the box without
making another tap onto the coax. Better yet, when all eight ports are
full, and you need to add another machine, there's still no need to make
another tap onto the cable; just buy another multiport box. You can take
an output from the first multiport box and plug it into the input of the
second, effectively giving you seven more connections without another
tap on the coax. As far as I know, this goes to infinity.

     They have a big advantage over the DELNI multiports is that, when
DELNIs go bad, you have to send back the whole box. With the TCL multiports,
each port is on its own seperate board, so you just have to send back the
port that went bad. They are also cheaper to replace that way. You can even
get a box with less than eight ports in it, if you don't have the money
to spend on a full box.

     I have no association with TCL other than being a very satisfied
customer.

--Chris

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 Chris Ott
 Computational Fluid Mechanics Lab            Just say "Whoa!!" and
 University of Arizona                          vote for Randee!!

 Internet: chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu
 UUCP: {allegra,cmcl2,hao!noao}!arizona!amethyst!spock!chris
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