Newsgroups: bit.listserv.big-lan
Date:         Tue, 15 Dec 1992 15:53:37 EST
From:         BIG-REQ@SUVM.BITNET
Subject:      BIG-LAN Digest, Volume 4, Number 83, Tuesday, December 15, 1992

BIG-LAN DIGEST          Tuesday, 15 December 1992      Volume 4 : Issue 83

Today's Topics:

         Using CUTCP with MS-LAN MANAGER AND HP EtherTwist Cards
                    Network printer from PCs and MACs
                      level 5 patch panels or blocks
                      level 5 patch panels or blocks
      Service News interview-Banyan VP of Technical Support Services

Moderated by John Wobus, Syracuse University

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Fri, 11 Dec 92 13:17:05 PDT
From:         DI001@CALPOLY
Subject:      Using CUTCP with MS-LAN MANAGER AND HP EtherTwist Cards

We have a college on campus which has a large number of machines connected
via an HP Ethertwist 10 Base-T network where they are also running
Microsoft LAN Manager client software.  We would like to replace the
"Telnet" included by HP with CUTCP (Clarkson U. TCP).

The "telnet" from HP utilizes some drivers and MS-Kermit.  Of course that means
only one session and slow.  CUTCP provides 1 tn3270 session (required) and 19
to 20 vt100 connections.  I have been able to get it to work with the old
Clarkson Packet drivers without the network client software.  We need to get
it working with the network client software.

Any and all help appreciated.  Please send e-mail directly to one of the
addresses below.

*********************************************************************
George L. Westlund         | BITNET:      DI001@CALPOLY
Academic Computing Services| Internet:    gwestlu@polyslo.calpoly.edu
Cal Poly                   | Phone:       (805) 756-2516
San Luis Obispo, CA  93407 |
**********************************************************************

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Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 14:29 PST
From: "Todd W. Schmitzer" <SCHMITZER@SCU.BITNET>
Subject:      Network printer from PCs and MACs

Hello,

        I am looking for software that will redirect printing on a PC
and a MAC to a LPD server.  I am hoping to find a LPR program for both
a PC and a MAC the will transparently redirect to the LPD server (ie
for the PC, redirects LPT1 to LPR).

        Does anyone know of software to do this?  I'd prefer to find
something in the public domain, but I'll look at commercial software
also.

        Does anyone know of other alternatives to LPR/LPR to provide
transparent network printing to the same printer from both a PC and
a MAC?

        Thanks in advance.

Todd Schmitzer
Library Systems/Services Manager,
Data Communications and Networking Specialist
Academic Computing Center
Santa Clara University

Addresses: schmitzer@scuacc.scu.edu or schmitzer@scu (bitnet)

-------------------------------------------------------

Date: 12 Dec 92 07:35 GMT
From: KEE@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Radiant Enterprises, K Nethery,PAS)
Subject:      level 5 patch panels or blocks

>What sort of patch panel/block is recommended?  Should we
>build a patch panel of RJ11 jacks and jumper everything or
>use a punch block and run twisted cross-connects?

This is my opinion. Do not install RJ jacks, install punchdowns. Here's why.

1. Users see RJ11 patch cables and think; "I can do this. I'll just save them
the trouble and move my (fill in the blank) now and not bother them." What
really happens is that they move the wrong jumper. They go to their office and
discover that they made a mistake. They go back to the patch bay and "correct"
the mistake, but, they mistakenly grab the wrong patch and move it to the
original location thus screwing up two offices. They try again. When they
finally give up they have butchered the connections and you have a big problem
that just appeared (who will admit to screwing things up that bad). With
punchdowns, the user sees the rats nest of patch wires running all over the
place and says; "Jeez!, how do they ever figure out what connects what?" and
they walk away knowing that it is beyond them. They don't even try to touch the
connections.

2. Patch cables are messy, punchdown patches are clean. Patch cables have
connections at both ends and you will typically just buy a whole bunch precut
to some standard length. Since none of them are exactly the correct length, you
have cables everywhere getting in the way. It is a mess. With punchdowns, each
cable is exactly the length it needs to be and all is neat and tidy.

3. Punch down cables are twisted, patch cables typically are not. Crosstalk on
the silver satin mod cord used on patch cables can be pretty bad. Yes you can
buy patch cables that have twisted pairs but they are expensive. All punchdown
patches use twisted pairs and the wire is much cheaper than RJ patch cables.

4. So you installed RJ11s, 4 conductors. How do you patch the inner pair (used
by the fax) to one line while patching the outer pair (used by the modem) to
another line. Only one RJ will fit into the patchbay connection. Oh yes, you
carefully split the RJ11 patch cable to create a custom cable with one RJ in
(going to the wall jack) and two out (one for the fax line, one for the modem).

RJ patch bays are really bad ideas. Seems like it would simplify things but in
my opinion it turns a difficult situation into a horrible nightmare.

Others may have different opinions.

Kee Nethery

-------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 21:07 GMT
From: Evan Gamblin <0001847804@mcimail.com>
Subject:      level 5 patch panels or blocks

Robert Eden (817)897-0491 <robert@cpvax.cpses.tu.com> asked:

>What sort of patch panel/block is recommended?  Should we build a
>patch panel of RJ11 jacks and jumper everything or use a punch block
>and run twisted cross-connects?

Who will be doing the moves, adds and changes for this, Robert? If
it's someone you can trust with a punchtool, I'd go for the
crossconnects because of:

a) cost - 110 or BIX1A blocks are inexpensive compared to patch panels
b) availability - I know mfrs have announced Cat 5 patch panels, but
   we haven't been able to buy them yet
c) flexibility - if you're doing voice as well as data, using
   crossconnects means you can avoid dedicating cables to voice or
   data. (Patch panels are generally used only for data). This assumes
   you run the same grade of cable for both voice & data.
d) higher density - you can fit a lot more terminations into the same
   space

If you use crossconnects, instead of jumper wire use the same cable as
you're running horizontally. Maintain pair twist right to the
crossconnect. If you're using hubs which have 8-line modular ports,
make patch cables from the same stuff. (As you've probably heard,
stranded-conductor UTP doesn't punch down reliably).

There's a recent telecomm administration standard you may want your
cable installer to use. (EIA-606: Telecommunications Administration
Standard for Commercial Buildings). Among other things, it improves
the "readability" of crossconnect fields.

If you decide to go with patch panels, I'd suggest 8-line rather than
4-line. Besides being called out in the EIA-568 commercial building
cabling recommendations, it looks as if some of the next generation of
access methods (like 100 Mb/s ethernet) will use all four pairs. That
should also set you up for CDDI (or whatever they're calling it this
week ;-)

Evan Gamblin

- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Halifax Group,
903-275 Sparks St
Ottawa, Ont K1R 7X9 Canada               E-Mail: 0001847804@mcimail.com
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:18:50 GMT
From: IMAGING.CLUB@OFFICE.WANG.COM ("Imaging Club")
Subject:      Service News interview-Banyan VP of Technical Support Services

The December issue of Service News has a lengthy interview with
Banyan vice president of technical support services, Karen Roman.
It's rather interesting in that Banyan and Novell are working together.
If anyone needs a photocopy of this article, please let me know.

Michael.Willett@OFFICE.Wang.com

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End of BIG-LAN Digest
*********************
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