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