Path: utzoo!bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!bigsur!bnrgate!kratz From: kratz@bnrgate.bnr.ca (Geoff Kratz) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: Re: Thinwire vs. Thickwire Message-ID: <92@bnrgate.bnr.ca> Date: 1 Oct 89 18:11:06 GMT References: <8909291306.AA06775@jvnca.csc.org> Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ltd., Ottawa, CANADA Lines: 27 In article <8909291306.AA06775@jvnca.csc.org>, aggarwal@JVNCA.CSC.ORG (Vikas Aggarwal none) writes: > > Just to collect one's views on Thinwire ethernet vs Thickwire ethernet, What about Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)? We are using this exclusively now, and we have found a number of advantages: - extremely cheap (uses existing 4-wire in the building) - MAUs cost much less than transceivers - You can use the BIXX cross-connects to simplify moves of workstations (a move requires moving jumper wires from one cross-connect to another) The disadvantage, of course, is the distance. UTP is only good to about 400 meters. Within a building, though, this is usually adequate. Another thing is the tolerance on the clock crystals. We found a number of workstation manufacturers who's specs on the clock were less than adequate, thus causing a lot of jams or CRC's. However, for our site (1000+ workstations in 5 buildings with constant workstation moves), UTP gives us more benefits in topology planning, installation and $$$. And yes, we run at full ethernet (10 Mbps). Anyone else out there using UTP for their ethernets? -- Geoff Kratz Bell-Northern Research, Ltd. Ph: (613) 763-5784 Internet Systems P.O. Box 3511, Station C FAX:(613) 763-3283 Ottawa Ontario Canada K1Y 4H7 BITNET: kratz@bnr.ca