Path: utzoo!dciem!dretor!nrcaer!sce!cognos!todds
From: todds@cognos.uucp (Todd Sandor)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Thin ethernet questions
Message-ID: <5697@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 28 Mar 89 12:26:32 GMT
References: <724@m3.mfci.UUCP>
Reply-To: todds@cognos.UUCP (Todd Sandor)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 37

>    We're getting ready to wire our new building for ethernet.
>We'd like to have five physical networks (for each group of workstations),
>these networks will be linked to a backbone using Retix 2244 bridges. The
>backbone will exist in the computer room only.
>    We have closed offices in this building, so we want one or two
>ethernet taps per office. It's a new building, so adding the wiring
>is easy so long as I decide in the next week or two.
>    I've looked into several options:
>
From our experience we found it best to have thick-nets (sub-nets)
tied to the main backbone (via Retrix 2255's), and have multiport
thin-net repeaters tied off the subnets to the individual offices.
Each subnet has hosts (on sub-net backbone), with Workstations
configured into these hosts (we are totally disk-less WS) tied
of the multiport repeaters on that subnet.
It WILL be cheaper in the long run to have one thin-net per office
as if don't when have office moves you will probably require
re-wiring the thinnets, and if like our company who has office moves
regularly (make work projects), it will be cheaper in the long run.
We use Cabletron multiports and 3-COM multiports (these allow 15 thin-net
cards) as our multiport repeaters.  The 3-com are the best as have
the most flexibility, but delivery can take up to 2 months for
this equipment (Cabletron stuff usually stock items).  If have it
this was, when moves happen, just go into the cable room and change
the thin-nets so have correct office going off the correct
multi-port (and thus sub-net), office moves are easly done, rather
then having to get more equipment and cable installers each time.
If I was helping in plans for a new building, I'ld be recommending
each office have a thin-net tied (well labeled obviously), to a
cable room, more expensive initially, but saves money and headaches
later.  I don't have experience with twisted pair ethernet, but you
could do it in the same way.
-- 
Todd Sandor             Voice: (613) 738-1338 ext 2704     P.O. Box 9707
Cognos Incorporated     FAX: (613) 738-0002                3755 Riverside Dr.
uucp: todds@cognos || uunet!mitel!sce!cognos!todds         Ottawa, Ontario
Steady as she goes!                                        CANADA  K1G 3Z4