Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!husc6!cmcl2!phri!roy
From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: FastPath vs. StarController?
Message-ID: <3775@phri.UUCP>
Date: 18 May 89 20:58:14 GMT
Organization: Public Health Research Institute, NYC, NY
Lines: 24


	For a couple of years, we've been growing our PhoneNet network in
dribs and drabs, gleefully ignoring configuration rules, building a sort of
branching-tree (4 main branches, one on each floor, and within each floor,
another sub-star, more or less).  Fortunately, PhoneNet seems to be able to
absorb a large amount of abuse and still work.  Large, but not infinite.
Today, we connected another 300' branch and broke the network.  The new
branch works, but another, previously working branch, dropped off.  If I
disconnect the new branch, the old one comes back.  We havn't been keeping
real careful track of how much wire we have, but I'd guess a total of about
2000'.

	What I'm looking for is advice on what kind of box I should use to
rejoin the pieces of my network after I split it into several smaller
parts.  One choice is a StarController.  Another is to buy another FastPath
(we already have one) and let them talk to each other over our ethernet.
Presumably there are other types of connectivity boxes available too, but I
don't know much about them.  Can somebody give me a quick rundown on the
advantages of each?
-- 
Roy Smith, System Administrator
Public Health Research Institute
{allegra,philabs,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy -or- roy@phri.nyu.edu
"The connector is the network"