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From: darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer)
Newsgroups: net.dcom,net.lan
Subject: DEC's broadband Ethernet tranceivers
Message-ID: <1634@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Jan-85 11:13:05 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1634
Posted: Fri Jan  4 11:13:05 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Jan-85 02:12:40 EST
Reply-To: darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer)
Distribution: net
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 27
Keywords: Ethernet broadband
Xref: watmath net.dcom:766 net.lan:583
Summary: 

DEC has announced Ethernet tranceivers for use on broadband networks.  They
implement the standard 10 M bps in 18MHz of bandwidth.  There are
configurations for either single or double cable broadband.  Maximum
distance is 3800 meters.  Available in the spring.

The bad news is that a DECOM tranceiver costs $4250 (and the accessory for
single cable broadband another $4500--but I can't tell from the press
release whether that's per node or per net).  By way of comparison, baseband
Ethernet tranceivers cost as little as $200.
The announcement also reminded the existence of the DELNI clustering device
which allows up to 8 stations to share one tranceiver (a DELNI costs about
$2000, so it clearly pays for a group of machines within 50 meters of a
common point!).

Comments: cost is negligible for supermini or mainframe systems, rather
steep for machines in the PC class (it costs about $1000 to put an IBM PC on
baseband Ethernet--and that includes the Ethernet controller and outboard
tranceiver, $600 to $4000 more for broadband)
-- 
Darrel J. Van Buer, PhD
System Development Corp.
2500 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(213)820-4111 x5449
...{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,orstcs,sdcsvax,ucla-cs,akgua}
                                                            !sdcrdcf!darrelj
VANBUER@USC-ECL.ARPA