| Thin coax cabling looks like the coaxial
cable that is often used to connect a VCR to a TV set. 10BaseT
cabling looks like ordinary telephone wire, except that it has
between 6 and 8 wires inside of it instead of 4, and they're
usually braided together inside to help reduce interferences. Thin
coax cabling is often used to create a network "BACKBONE" of
computers. PC's are strung together in a long chain -- a cable goes
from the first PC to the second; a second cable goes from the
second PC to the third; etc. No matter how many computers are
connected together, thin coax ALWAYS requires termination at both
ends of the network. On each PC's network card, T-connectors are
inserted, splitting the network card's input port into two separate
ports. One port incoming cable and one outgoing cable. If the PC is
the last node on the network, then a terminator is attached to the
empty hole of the T-connector. 10BaseT cabling, is great for
situations where computers may be moved around. 10BaseT cabling
requires a network hub. Each PC connects via 10BaseT from their own
network card to the hub. This type of configuration is called a
STAR configuration. Hubs, terminators, T-connectors, and both types
of cabling can be found at your local computer store. Be sure to
measure the distance between your PC's to determine how much cable
you'll need. The maximum distance for a thin coax backbone between
repeaters is 607 feet and the minimum distance between nodes is 1.5
feet. Also, make sure the cabling is not coiled or curled up. The
maximum for a strand of 10BaseT cable is 328 feet. 10BaseT should
not be used to connect PC's together by itself, as it can be
unreliable or not work at all. |
