ArcNet and the Pursuit of Multiple Topologies

On Oct 9, 12:50, Tarsi wrote: :) and ATM would be good, and although there's a lot of it around, you should be able to pick up a couple of routers fairly cheaply. Acorn Econet? There's Linux support for that too. How about the original DIX Ethernet? Try a web search for Aloha. Sinclair (Timex) machines like the Spectrum and QL used a proprietary network, but I think the only other company to ever use it was ICL. Do you count ADSL, ISDN, X.21, or just LAN stuff? 10base2, 10base5, 10baseF (and FOIRL), 10baseT, 100baseTX, 100baseT4, 100baseFX, 1000baseTX, 1000baseSX, 100baseLX and 1000baseCX are all closely related and you will find some excellent references at http://www.techfest.com/networking/lan.htm 10base2 and 10base5 are bus topologies using 50-ohm coax; 10baseF (and its predecessor FOIRL), 100baseFX, and 1000baseSX/LX are fibre technologies often used as point-to-point but can be used in star networks too; 10baseT, 100baseTX, and 100baseT4 use UTP and are normally used in star topologies. Before you get too carried away, you might want to think about the permutations of protocols, technologies, and topologies or you'll need a much larger house :-) The same fibre that carries FOIRL can (if it's the right size, 50/125) carry 10baseF, 100baseFX, 1000baseSX, ATM, FDDI, ... I have a thin Ethernet (10base2) segment, a thick Ethernet (10base5) segment, a lot of Cat5e carrying 10baseT and some 100baseTX, a chunk of FDDI, some FOIRL, 10baseF, and potentially 100baseFX, at home; and there's lots of redundant ATM kit at work but (a) I have no room, and (b) I'd have to buy it (which is against my religion). I also have some Econet, ISDN, UUCP serial links, etc. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York