Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!yale!husc6!rice!sun-spots-request
From: jjb@zeus.cs.wayne.edu (J. Brewster)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Re: Why are new Suns thick Ethernet only
Keywords: Hardware
Message-ID: <721@wsu-cs.uucp>
Date: 16 May 89 15:45:25 GMT
References: <10217@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU>
Sender: usenet@rice.edu
Organization: Computer Science Department, Wayne State University
Lines: 18
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
Original-Date: 9 May 89 12:51:55 GMT
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 7, Issue 287, message 5 of 13
X-Issue-Reference: v7n271

In article <10217@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> rudolf@oce.orst.edu (Jim Rudolf) writes:
>We were introduced to the new Sun products last week, and I was surprised
>to find that all new CPUs will only have thick Ethernet connectors.  OK, I
> [...]
>Can anyone clue me in to the reason why Sun chose to go this way?
>I'm clueless.

I don't claim to know the real reason why Sun went that way.  A guess: if
you have an AUI port, you can convert to thin easily enough.  I've seen
little devices which have a DB-15 and a BNC on them.  I suppose it's just
a small transceiver.  However, given a thin Ethernet port, you can't
really switch back to an AUI connection.  Further, thick Ethernet allows
for greater segment lengths than does thin.  I like the flexibility of
having both (our VAXStation 2000's have a slide switch -- no jumper plug
to fool with!), but if I had to choose, I'd choose the AUI port, too.  --
J. Brewster               | "In this country, everything loose
jjb@cs.wayne.edu          | rolls to the West Coast."
...!mailrus!wsu-cs!jjb    | --Thomas A. Vanderslice, CEO of Apollo