Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!uwm.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!gore!jacob
From: jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Thinwire vs. Thickwire
Message-ID: <670003@gore.com>
Date: 30 Sep 89 22:43:54 GMT
References: <8909291306.AA06775@jvnca.csc.org>
Reply-To: jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore)
Organization: Gore Enterprises
Lines: 34

/ comp.protocols.tcp-ip / aggarwal@JVNCA.CSC.ORG (Vikas Aggarwal none) /Sep 29/
[lists some tradeoffs between thin and thick wire Ethernet]

Also:

THINWIRE

	Transceivers and drop cables can be used
	Transceiver can be (and often is) built into the computer instead
	If using transceivers and drop cables:
		Non-intrusive transceivers are not available
			(cable must be cut to insert new transceiver)
	If not using transceivers and drop cables:
		Cable generally runs within an inch of each computer
		Non-intrusive off-shoot cables are available, but
			their outlets must be inserted into the cable
			in advance, and they add twice their length
			to the total length of the network

THICKWIRE

	Transceivers and drop cables must be used
	Non-intrusive transceivers are available ("vampire-tap")

In short, if your network is best served by a central-spine-with-drop-cables
topology, then one additional advantage of thick Ethernet is that you can
add new transceivers easily.


And then there's Twisted-Pair Ethernet...

Jacob
--
Jacob Gore		Jacob@Gore.Com			boulder!gore!jacob