Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!wright!jsloan From: jsloan@wright.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: Ethers, Copper, Fiber, Microwaves, Etc. Message-ID: <203@wright.EDU> Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 08:07:13 EST Article-I.D.: wright.203 Posted: Tue Dec 1 08:07:13 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Dec-87 05:38:35 EST References: <3044@phri.UUCP> Organization: Wright State University, Dayton OH, 45435 Lines: 35 Some time ago I helped write an RFP for a 10 Mb/sec ethernet-to-ethernet link via microwave (thanks, Kent England at BU for the info!). We have since contracted with the vendor and installation should be completed around Christmas. In the process there has been some mutual education between the microwave group and the networking group on campus. There are now incredibly cheap (a few thousand $s) microwave systems, with dishes that you could put in a briefcase, that could conceivably be pushed to 10 Mb/sec over very short distances. How long will it be before it will be cheaper to run networks between adjacent buildings on a campus or research park etc. using these tiny microwave systems instead of running copper or fiber? I suspect the major cost would be the ether bridges on either end that may be necessary (and maybe not), but it could also be that you would want packet filtering with bridges even if you used copper or fiber. I remember reading about lasers doing similar things. Also an interesting thought. Our RBOC bid a optical fiber link. Although their ethernet-to-ethernet product (if its not vaporware) was not available by our deadline, this too is an interesting idea, not for short distances (a solution which has been around for a while) but for long distances, like over five miles or more. Managing a geographically dispersed ethernet would be challenging, but the functionality is appealing. Anyone have any concrete ideas on any of this? Those little microwave dishes are looking better and better. -- John Sloan Wright State University Research Center jsloan@SPOTS.Wright.Edu 3171 Research Blvd., Kettering, OH 45420 ...!cbosgd!wright!jsloan (513) 259-1384 (513) 873-2491 Logic Disclaimer: belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.