Path: utzoo!censor!geac!yunexus!eriks From: eriks@yunexus.yorku.ca (Eriks Rugelis) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: repeaters at the ends of 802.3 FO link segments Summary: Does 802.3 always require repeaters at the ends of a FO link-segment? Keywords: 802.3 FOIRL FOMAU repeaters Message-ID: Date: 31 Dec 89 01:51:34 GMT Sender: news@yunexus.UUCP Organization: York University Lines: 34 I'm having a friendly disagreement with a colleague about a particular aspect of 802.3 network configuration. Now, before I go on, we are not really arguing the 'will it work' aspect but rather 'what did the designers of the Standard intend?' (if the answer contains a description of 'why the designers thought so', we wouldn't turn it down...) So, onward: One of us (not me ;-), is of the opinion that 802.3 does not always require a repeater at both ends of a FOIRL and that if there is but a single device at the end of a FOIRL the repeater is superfluous. By extension, this argument says that a degenerate network could consist of nothing but two nodes, two MAU's and the FO cable between them, without ANY repeaters at all. But then you can start throwing in some curves such as: Is a node attached to a DELNI attached to the FOMAU without a repeater STILL OK? Where does one draw the line? In a picture, is the following legal (no repeaters)? AUI cable FO cable AUI cable Node-----------FOMAU================FOMAU-----------Node If it IS legal, at what point does the Standard *require* repeaters? Hello, Pat Thaler? You've 'been there' for much of 802.3 development process. Can you take some time again to educate the rest of us? Thanks, Eriks -- --- Voice: Eriks Rugelis E-Mail: eriks@outland.yorku.ca UUCP: yunexus!eriks Ma Bell: 416/736-5257 x.22688 Last resort: eriks@yulibra.NETNORTH Snail: York University, 4700 Keele St., North York, Ontario, Canada. M3J 1P3