[rescue] AUI to Ethernet

[Brian Hechinger]

> > One of my ethernet switches has all cross-over ports (it was designed to
> > be used with up-link ports on hubs).  Another has two cross-over ports
> > and a bunch of "normal" ports.
> 
>   In my experience these are much less common than non-crossover
> ports.
> 
>   It's cool that someone designed one specifically to feed hubs,
> though.

i own a linksys, and two addtron units.  the linksys and the one addtron are
fast switches and the other addtron is a fast hub.  i've also got an old 
cheapie no name 10M hub.

they all function the same way, each has the last port with two jacks, one wired
straight through, the other wired crossover.  that's the only difference.  some
use switches instead.  it's actually rare that i've seen a box that doesn't
have this with the exception of the really really small Netgear boxes, but even
the slightly larger Netgear boxes have it.

now i, like you, prefer FDDI, but if i absolutely must use ethernet, i like the
convenience of not having to dig out or make a cross-over cable to hook two
hubs/switches together.

on the other hand, this also makes it very easy for non-computer people to
string 20 hubs together in their office off of one ethernet line instead of
getting the computer people to come put 20 proper lines in the office.  which
ends up with a lot of computers not working since someone kicked the power out
of a hub taking half of the office down.  _THAT_ i could live without.

-brian