LattisNet <-> 10BaseT
Marc A. Runkel
understanding that we can NOT use 10BASET UTP NIC's on this LAN. Is this
correct? If I am expanding, ie, adding another hub, do I have to continue
using LattisNet Hubs? I would think so, but I thought I should check.
Also, what exactly are the differences between 10BASET & LattisNet?
Thanks,
--
Marc A. Runkel marc....@registrar.umass.edu
Network Analyst Of course, this is just my
Registrar's Office tiny, insignificant, humble
University of Massachusetts, Amherst opinion. If you don't like it....
Richard Lawrence
>I have recently inherited a LattisNet Local Area Network. It is my
>understanding that we can NOT use 10BASET UTP NIC's on this LAN. Is this
>correct? If I am expanding, ie, adding another hub, do I have to continue
>using LattisNet Hubs? I would think so, but I thought I should check.
Note: I am posting this for general information purposes, as it is an
almost FAQ. I am an employee of Synoptics Communications but this is NOT
to be construed as advice from the company - I am posting on my own time
and speak only for myself. (Sorry for the big legalspeak, but I got
chewed out for posting off the top of my head last time...)
Answer: No, unfortunately LattisNet (old LattisNet, not to be confused
with many of the later software products that carry the moniker) is not
directly compatible with 10BaseT. It *can* be mixed with 10BaseT within
the same hub, and they can speak back and forth with no problems - but
all hosts on a particular card within the hub will be either 10BaseT or
Lattisnet.
If you add another hub and connect via a backbone (AUI, Fiber, what have
you) there will be no problems mixing the two. It is only on the twisted
pair wires that the signals will be dissimilar (and even then, it's
still ethernet....)
>Also, what exactly are the differences between 10BASET & LattisNet?
The primary difference is that one synchronizes the signals at send and
the other at receive. This is what makes them incompatible.
For those wondering, Lattisnet was developed previous to 10BaseT, and
Synoptics (well, Ron S.) is generally credited with developing the
technology. Unfortunately when it came time to standardize the committee
decided to slightly change the signal characteristics.
Marc, if you have further questions I would be happy to help you out.
Leave me some e-mail.
--
Rich Lawrence DoD#9630 ri...@grebyn.com '92Seca II "Yuri" CI$:71101,2272
Disclaimer: I speak for myself only, and no corporation.
217 years ago my government gave me certain inalienable rights.
Since then, they've been trying to correct their mistake.
Henry Spencer
>I have recently inherited a LattisNet Local Area Network. It is my
>understanding that we can NOT use 10BASET UTP NIC's on this LAN. Is this
You just might be able to get away with it with short cables and forgiving
circumstances. If you've ever seen the terminal room at one of the Usenix
conferences, you'll know that one of its centerpieces is a big LattisNet
hub (which we're very grateful to Synoptics for!). This last time, we had
a fellow with a 10BaseT laptop try plugging in as an experiment... and it
worked, to my considerable surprise. The specs are close enough, apparently,
that you can get away with it under near-ideal conditions.
However, in general, yes, the hardware on both ends of a given twisted-pair
cable has to agree on whether it's LattisNet or 10BaseT being spoken.
LattisNet was sort of a first draft of 10BaseT, similar to but not the
same as what finally got standardized.
--
C++ is the best example of second-system| Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
effect since OS/360. | he...@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
Don Stokes
> LattisNet was sort of a first draft of 10BaseT, similar to but not the
> same as what finally got standardized.
Most 10Base-T transceivers have a switch to turn off the link integrity
test. Does this help LattisNet gear talk to 10Base-T? (Not that I care;
I don't have any LattisNet gear here -- I'm jusr curious.)
--
Don Stokes, ZL2TNM (DS555) d...@zl2tnm.gen.nz (home)
Network Manager, Computing Services Centre d...@vuw.ac.nz (work)
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. +64-4-495-5052
John A. Weeks III
> understanding that we can NOT use 10BASET UTP NIC's on this LAN. Is this
> correct? If I am expanding, ie, adding another hub, do I have to continue
> using LattisNet Hubs? I would think so, but I thought I should check.
Long before there was 10BaseT, people were running Ethernet over twisted
pair wiring. One problem was there there was no standard. Hubs were
sometimes incompatible between brands. Early UTP ethernet cards often
had jumpers to allow the card to work with the various different UTP methods.
10BaseT set a standard that is different from Latticenet. All of the ethernet
card makers have standardized on 10BaseT, so it is very difficult to buy a
new network card that will work with non-10BaseT systems.
Your latticenet is far from totally obsolete. You can buy latticenet parts
real cheap from used equipment vendors. Synoptics now makes 10BaseT
concentrator modules that plug into latticenet hubs--which allows you to
add 10BaseT ports to your existing latticenet hub. Finally, you can buy
ethernet cards with AUI ports, then use a $40 tranciever to convert from
latticenet to AUI.
> Also, what exactly are the differences between 10BASET & LattisNet?
The wiring itself is the same, but the signals on the wires are slightly
different. As I recall, Latticenet puts DC signals on the wire, which
10BaseT either does not generate, or generates at a different level.
Other UTP schemes used a heartbeat signal to syncronize the network.
-john-
--
==============================================================================
John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 jo...@newave.mn.org
Newave Communications, Ltd. ..!uunet!tcnet!newave!john
Vince Mammoliti
>he...@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
>> LattisNet was sort of a first draft of 10BaseT, similar to but not the
>> same as what finally got standardized.
>Most 10Base-T transceivers have a switch to turn off the link integrity
>test. Does this help LattisNet gear talk to 10Base-T? (Not that I care;
>I don't have any LattisNet gear here -- I'm jusr curious.)
There is a Difference between LattisNet UTP and 10BaseT. I missed the Question,
so I may be off in left field.
Similarities:
Topyology: Active Hierarchical Star
Basic Approach: Multiport Repeaters
Speed: 10 Mbps
Access Protocal: CSMA/CD
MAX Distance: 100 meters
Connector: RJ-45 (ISO 8877)
Wiring: Telephone twisted pair
Differences:
Lattis UTP 10Base-T
___________________________________________________________________________
Voltage Levels: 2 Volts 5 Volts
Link Status: A low DC current link status
indicates link
integrity
Jabber
Protection: Jabber detection and Jabber detection and
isolation performed at isolation performed at
the concentrator the transceiver and at
the concentrator
Jitter
Equalization: Done after receiving Done prior to transmission
the packet of the packet
Squelch LattisNet squelch 10Base-T smart squelch
Hope This is helpfull
Vince
--
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Network Systems Group Internet: vin...@wacss.anixter.com
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