Semi-OT: Running CAT5 Cables

From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
Date: Thu Oct 28 06:22:57 1999

>thin spaanners makes life a lot easier. If you're using RJ45 wallplates
>with punchdown blocks, get a good punchdown tool (they're not expensive).

Last time I was in Fry's the cheapo punchdown tools were $35, and the nice
Harris tool was close to $75. Maybe that could go along with my inexpensive
under $400 10/100 switch <sarcasm at 93% and rising>.

>Put nut and rubber seal over cable
>
>Remove about 3/4" of outer jacket
>
>Fan out the shield over the end of the jacket

Ditto I would not dream of the above, well actually I "might" dream about
it, but I am sure I would wake up screaming. ;)

Cheap and lazy are the two principals that guide my life, and I am
reluctant to part from them. This means if I have to pull a wire through
walls its going to be high grade CAT5, because in the long run that is the
cheapest and laziest way to do it.

My "network plan" doesn't currently include 100bt, and I would be
interested in some comments about what I will be missing. My assumption as
I make the leap from years of happy 230 kbps Apple LocalTalk, is that 10
Mbps ethernet will leave no great longing in my heart.

I have a hodge podge of machines, and intend a network to match. 10bt
between the newest hardware, although most of the NICs will be 10/100, so I
could be convinced to put a layer of 100bt in, but not until I can "find" a
cheap 10/100 switch (hint: it will be less than $400). The fast machines
will go to a hub that is either directly or through some "firewall" Linux
486 type box to my neato cable modem and the rest of the world. From the
"fast" machines hub (which will physically be located near the living room
and AV stuff) I plan on linking two other hubs, one in my office, and one
in my garage. Both of the secondary hubs will likely have both a 10b2 and
via Shiva FastPaths a LocalTalk segment attached to them.

I have a LOT of old macs (maybe 100), and while most of them will NEVER be
used by me (just machines passing through my hands), more than a dozen
likely will be, and coax NICs for nubus are dirt cheap, and more
importantly the NICs for the machines like the LCs or SE/30s are worth more
than the computers in 10bt. I really look forward to doing interesting
things at the lowest end, with IIgs and old Mac Pluses hooked to the net
via LocalTalk (the FastPaths will "tunnel" TCP/IP packets over LocalTalk
using some standard Apple protocol even on the old Pluses).

In general this will not be a "working" network, but a fun network, and a
learning place to try network things. Backups, and doing installs on "fresh
meat" systems is about as serious as I have in mind, with the bulk of the
use for Internet access, and playing games etc. over the local network.
Received on Thu Oct 28 1999 - 06:22:57 BST