26 Jun
2018
26 Jun
'18
10:13 a.m.
On Jun 26, 2018, at 1:04 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 06/26/2018 10:31 AM, Mark J. Blair via cctalk wrote:
I don't remember seeing the "insert between N connectors" type.
"Tap" to me means a DEC H4000 "vampire tap", and yes, those use a
drill to install. That should be non-disruptive if done correctly.
I believe the original concept was just a probe that would poke through the cable to
contact the center connector. The drill came because the cable was too tough to penetrate
without it. Maybe a side effect of switching to Teflon flame-resistant insulation. Early
prototype cable seemed to be polyethylene, with a bright yellow outer jacket with black
stripes marking the tap spacing. That might have been softer and suitable for no-drill
tapping.
paul
What does non-intrusive mean in this context? I
thought that thick ethernet taps always required drilling a hole in the cable.
There are taps that screw onto the N connectors. Thus you have to intrusively disconnect
segments, to insert the (so called) tap.
Conversely, you can drill / clamp / tap onto live segments in a non-intrusive manner.
My assumption was that "tap" comes from the second form. I always thought
there was a different name for the first form. But I believe they were less common, hence
fall under the "tap" term which is more popular.