Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!imagen!atari!portal!portal!cup.portal.com!John_Robert_Breeden
From: John_Robert_Breeden@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Cost of 10BaseT
Message-ID: <27352@cup.portal.com>
Date: 27 Feb 90 03:51:09 GMT
References: <27314@cup.portal.com>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 58

>1) If I go the 10BaseT route, what are the pieces of hardware I need to
>buy, and what are the costs?  I realize I need 5 10BaseT cards and the
>RJ45.  What else?
>
Hubs (repeaters - NOT - concentrators). 10baseT is star configuration
ONLY and the total of the hardware IS more expensive than thinnet.
ie: cost of 10baseT cards+hubs+wire/#ports > 10base2 cards+wire/#ports.

>2) I have heard some people express concerns that the 10BaseT vendors
>manufactured their cards before the spec was finished.  Is this a 
>concern, or did the spec that was used to build cards end up being
>the final spec?  In particular, will I be safe buying 3COM's 10BaseT
>cards?
>
Those vendors that held out support for 10baseT (read Synoptics and
Cabletron) liked to harp on that . The truth is that the draft was well
enough defined 2 years ago to assure that product produced then would
at least be complient (ie: would work with) final standard product.
Examples of this are AT&T, HP and UB's products - all designed and built
2 years ago and all interwork with product today. For the most part it
was a smoke screen to allow vendors to continue to sell propriatary
product. It's a moot point now - everybody and their brother (and the 
family dog) has announced or released 10baseT product. 

By the way, as of today, 10baseT is STILL a draft, not a standard. It's
kind of funny that the vendors who six months ago screamed loudest about
"compatability" have announced product before 10baseT is a "standard".
Pity the poor folks that now have to "migrate" (ie:throw away) their
propriatory product to conform to the 10baseT draft.

>3) Are there any potential compatibility problems in putting together
>a heterogeneous network of PCs, Macs, Suns, and DEC VMS workstations?

If you can do it with 802.3 - you can do it with 10baseT.
-----

Though 10baseT's installation cost is greater up front than 10base2
(the hubs 'il get ya every time) - it does have it's benefits.

1. Can use pre-existing TP building wire (save the cost of coax).

2. Isolation of bad nodes (star configuration instead of bus).
   Same wiring configuration as phones - using same wiring paths
   and wire closets as phones, makes it easier to handle.

3. Intelligence. Some hubs let you turn on and off ports from a 
   remote console and set error levels etc. Some "super-intellegent"
   hubs even do this automatically - without human intervention
   (ie; AT&T). inside - like that Bill? (-:

4. Easier to find wire faults (ever try to find a break in coax?).

5. If you miss the boat on 10baseT, not to worry, 10baseF is "acomin'
   down the slip" (-:

john_robert_breeden@cup.portal.com

           "Please EMail Flames directly, I send them to Mom"