🚀 go-pugleaf

add@philabs.philips.com (Aninda V. Dasgupta) writes:

>I am trying to setup my own little token-ring with just two stations
>on it.  Every vendor I talk to, wants to sell me a MAU. I have
>just two stations and I know that I will never expand this
>network, why should I have to buy a MAU? Even two port MAUs are
>so expensive I don't want to touch them....

>My question to Token-ring gurus is, can I use/get any one of the 
>following?

>- A Dual Terminal Access Unit or DTAU (People within IBM call it an Onan Box
>  because it is made by Onan, Inc., but nobody seems to know how to
>  buy one.) A DTAU serves two purposes.  One can connect it to a Token-ring
>  wall outlet and then hook up two computers to its two ports, thus essentially
>  expanding a single-port wall outlet to two ports.  But by flipping a
>  switch one can use the DTAU to simply connect two stations and not hook the
>  DTAU to any wall-outlet, thus having a two-station ring.  Does anyone know
>  what I am taking about, know where I can buy one of these boxes?

>- A 9-pin to 9-pin cable that allows me to connect the two adapters on
>  the two computers together?  Will such a cable work if I don't care
>  about the fault detecting relays in a MAU?  (What else is a passive MAU
>  good for other than the bypass-relays in it?)
>  Any recommended vendors for such 9-pin to 9-pin (male to male) cables?
>  I have tried BlackBox and Cabletron, didn't work.

>- A Cheap 2-port MAU (within $250).  All the ones I have seen are way over
>  my meager budget.

>It's so hard to believe that setting up a simple two-station ring requires
>the purchase of so much extra junk that I don't need (read: an 8-port MAU.)

>Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
>-- 
>Aninda DasGupta   (add@philabs.philips.com)
>Ph : (914) 945-6071    Fax : (914) 945-6552
>Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n  Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510
>(Gas from Phillips Petroleum, Antacid from Phillips Medical, Lightbulbs from us)


The DTAU that you mention is also made by RAD (201-529-1100);  I vaguely
remember ONAN being located in Minnesota (you may want to try the 800
directory).  I saw both at COMNET at Washington D.C., almost two years
ago and talked to several engineers to confirm that it can also be used
as a mini MAU for two nodes; but I gave up on them because of price,
which was at that time almost $200.00.  I finally ended up buying a
used MAU for $150.00.  I am sure you can pick up a used MAU for less
than a $100.00, if you look around at computer shows or scan the 
WANT-AD weekly.  If you do find a used MAU, be sure to get the
RESET Key (I am not sure what it is called exactly); you will need
it occasionally, to reset the MAU.

divya
(mdivya@world.std.com)