Stupid Mac Ethernet question

At 08:03 PM 1/14/2006, you wrote: Well, I've seen several brands of switches fail to recognize not-that-old hardware made for the Windows market, too. There's at least two types of auto-negotiation going on here, right - full or half duplex as well as auto-cross-over detection. No doubt in an effort to make Ethernet more plug-and-play and less prone to tech support calls, I see more and more consumer devices performing auto-crossover without that being a large bullet-point on the outside of the box. Another variable is how contemporary equipment responds to long lengths of Ethernet. Lengths still within the spec, but apparently not within the range designed or tested by the manufacturers. If it worked with a 25-foot hank on the test bench, they ship it. When I try it with a 100-foot run, it doesn't recognize it. Above the physical layer, there's plenty of goofiness in level 2, too. Wireless "bridge" devices these days are performing all sorts of MAC spoofing that'll throw you for a loop. - John