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Aucbvax.6444 fa.works utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!works Tue Mar 9 16:41:11 1982 Re: Ethernet Doomed? >From guyton@Rand-Unix Mon Mar 8 23:26:11 1982 From: guyton at Rand-Unix Via: Mit-Ai; 9 Mar 82 18:56-EDT Via: Brl-Bmd; 9 Mar 82 19:01-EDT

Quotes from an article in Mini-Micro World, Feb 82, pg 17-18. (Also, the same article has some information on a couple high level protocols recently announced by Xerox.)

" . . . Davide Liddle, vice president and general manager of the OPD, defended the single-channel, baseband approach used by Ethernet against multi-channel, broadband LAN methods. He also took issue with the critical Strategic, Inc., report, entitled "Xerox - The Key Issues."

"Out of about 100 pages," Liddle said, "only about two and one- half pages deal with Ethernet. Most of the remainder consists of historical data, untrue information and gossip. The Ethernet material that does exist is incorrect."

[ . . .]

Liddle claims assertions of broadband cost advantages are "rubbish." Although many broadband components are the same type of units used for CATV transmissions, and are, therefore, produced in quantity at low costs, the broadband transmitters are relatively expensive and difficult to maintain on a one-per-work- station basis, Liddle says. Broadband systems also require a separate modem and controller for each terminal at each node, while Ethernet requires only one controller per node.

Broadband also suffers in comparison to baseband during the planning stage, Liddle says. "You need a galactic plan to implement a broadband network because you must ensure systgem balance, since a strong signal can overpower a weak one." Drop cables to terminals must also be of the same length.

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