Re: Localtalk gateway/bridge

["Mark Cummings" <figjams@primus.com.au>]

>Well, for one, 10baseT requires no termination.

true, but no big deal, two terminators total, same as AppleTalk. And if you
have more than two computers you do need a hub. Hubs still cost more than
terminators last time I woke up. A lot more.

>It is also ad-hoc in that
>you only install a cable from the PC to the hub without worrying about
>breaking the ethernet chain. A PC can be taken off the network without
>having to reroute the network cable.

incorrect, you can remove any PC/Mac on the 10Base2 without breaking the
chain. Just remove the "T" piece from your computer without taking the cable
off, easy. We do it at work, although we have to be careful. Again same as
AppleTalk, it can also be disconnected at the mini-din8 connector, leaving
the cables connected to the transceiver.

>A 10baseT network can support
>faster hubs such as 100baseT or 1000baseT assuming you have the
>proper cards installed on the network.  All you would need to swap is
>the central hub.  10baseT is called a star configuration because of
>the fact that all cables go to a hub or switch..  I think they went to
>10baseT so that the installers didn't have to worry about routing
>ethernet coax cable throught the job site. If you wanted to add
>a workstation, it requires you to break the network and add a cable
>from the first station to the new station and then from the new
>station to the second station thus restoring the ethernet.  A star
>configuration just requires the installer to put a cable from the
>workstation to the hub without interrupting the network.

I don't think you are listening, I am using this in a home network. Who
cares if I interupt the chain when I add a computer. Even if I do, it will
be minimul. If you are quick, you can disconnect the old terminator and
re-connect the new cable (with terminator) with no noticable disruption.

As I said before, using coax without a hub or router will always use less
cable than a star config. _Always_. Get a piece of paper and draw any
configuation of computers you like, now draw a line through all computers in
the shortest path possible. Then try the same using a hub and put it in the
best location you can. Now draw a line from all the computers to that.
Measure all the line lengths between the two methods and send me a drawing
when your star config is shorter ! I won't hold my breath, but you can if
you want.
And one last thing, if your hub breaks, you have no network until it's fixed
or replaced. If I have a failure, all I lose is one computer.

And read my last post on the speed thing. Sometimes I wonder if I am the
only person that hasn't been sucked in to this speed hungry PC crap.

Mark