Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!iuvax!rutgers!dptg!mtunh!mkd From: mkd@mtunh.ATT.COM (Mark Darby) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Re: Twisted Pair Ether query Message-ID: <692@mtunh.ATT.COM> Date: 9 Aug 89 17:40:42 GMT References: <507@oblio.UUCP> <2230020@hprnd.HP.COM> Organization: AT&T ISL Middletown NJ USA Lines: 95 In article <2230020@hprnd.HP.COM>, craig@hprnd.HP.COM (Craig Blackwood) writes: > > We are looking for experiences / impressions of running twisted-pair > > ethernet. > > I think it is great! The diskless workstation from which I am writing this > is connected to the server via Twisted Pair ethernet (HP StarLAN 10). With > other types of cable (thick and thin coax) one person can mess up the whole > network simply by messing with the cable. With StarLAN 10 other users can > do whatever they want to the twisted pair that runs to their machine without > causing any problems for others. This is true for a standalone TPE (twisted pair ethernet) network, but with the proper equipment, one can expand an already existing Ethernet/ Cheapernet network with StarLAN 10, providing cost effective expansion without losing the original network investment. As a footnote, AT&T's TPE solution is also called "StarLAN 10". > > > Last time I looked at this stuff it was all in the talking stage - > > nobody had any commercial hardware. > > The product is a reality. The standard is almost a reality. The IEEE standard > is called 10baseT and (from what I know :-) will be official near the beginning > of next year. > 10BASE-T is a task force under the auspices of IEEE 802.3, drafting a standard for 10Mb/s baseband transmission over twisted pair wire. The 10BASE-T draft was recently voted upon by IEEE 802.3 voting members and failed by a significant margin (75% ratio of yes votes to yes+no votes is required for approval, actual ratio obtained was about 59%). Over 600 comments were received from voters which must be addressed, however most of these were editorial comments and general specmanship issues. As a matter of fact, the 10BASE-T task force is meeting this entire week in San Jose, California to address voter comments and issues. The new schedule of target dates for 10BASE-T includes a second letter ballot for the end of this year, with the presenting of voting results to IEEE 802.3 by March 1990. Assuming no delays in the entire schedule, including submitting draft to the IEEE Computer Society and IEEE review board, the draft could be sent to ANSI for submission to ISO by 4Q90. This assumes all submissions will result in approvals every step of the way. Any disapproval along the way could delay the progress of the draft further. > > Now I understand Cabletron makes some > > equipment, and there are presumably others. I wasn't paying any attention > > before, but now we about to move and looking at cabling options for cubicles, > > especially for use with our X terminals. > > HP makes twisted pair ethernet products (called StarLAN 10) including PC LAN > cards, HUBS, minicomputer and Workstation interface cards. > AT&T and Synoptics also make StarLAN 10 products. There are probably many > others. AT&T, HP and Ungermann-Bass currently make TPE hardware products which comply with key technical parameters of the 10BASE-T draft, including transmit voltage levels, transmit equalization, 100m distance support per twisted pair link, and the use of a multiport repeater (ala IEEE 802.3) as the HUB element. Because of this, the current hardware from these vendors INTEROPERATE, which is what standards are all about. SynOptics' TPE solution is called "Lattisnet." They have made some new product announcements, and I do not know if their new products take any more 10BASE-T parameters into consideration. I do know that previous products (with some exceptions) from Lattisnet took very few key 10BASE-T parameters into consideration. As the 10BASE-T draft becomes more a reality, each vendor will have a migration path from current product to final "10BASE-T" product. Those vendors who have proprietary solutions to TPE will a more difficult migration path to follow, depending upon how much the vendor has veered from the path followed by 10BASE-T. > > > > I have a notion this has been discussed here before and I missed it (hey, I > > don't have time to read everything); if so, I think I would appreciate mail > > rather than followups. > > > > Mats Wichmann > > Acer America > > hplabs!oblio!mats > > ---------- > > Craig Blackwood > craig@hprnd.rose.hp.com Let me know if I can be of further assistance. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark K. Darby AT&T Bell Laboratories AT&T: (201)957-2706 200 Laurel Ave. uucp:..!att!mtunh!mkd Middletown, NJ 07748