Token ring? topic hijack: was Re: Mystery open source switching

Wed Nov 3 19:54:56 UTC 2010

On Tuesday, November 02, 2010 04:55:02 pm Michael Sokolov wrote:
> Carlos Martinez-Cagnazzo <carlosm3011 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > Not only token ring. I know of some coaxial ethernets that were running as
> > late as 2007.

> The network I am using to compose and post this message right now is a
> coaxial Ethernet.

Oh man....

I still have some 10Base-5 segments in production.  At least I'm using a 7507 with an AUI Ethernet interface processor to drive them, now, instead of the three Proteon P4200's (software to P5600, with IP, EGP, RIP, OSPF, XNS, DNA, X.25, etc) that were used prior.  The three P4200's hooked up to each other with ProNET-80 over fiber (using the P3280 counterrotating ring unit).  Kindof cool to have floppies with the JNC copyright on them....software release R8.1, 02/06/91.  Last time I checked, two of the P4200's still booted up.  2MB of RAM with a 68020 at 16MHz.  Sounds like a Cisco AGS.

The fiber portion is now 1000Base-SX and LX,  but rather than rewire some areas, we just pop some older switches with AUI 'uplinks' and use the thicknet, which still runs well (as well as thicknet can) after all these years.  Some of the areas the thicknet traverses would be a difficult rewire, thanks to 'right-sized' conduit and vampire taps.  And if it ain't broke.....

ProNet-80.....TokenRing on steroids.  Worked better than the IBM 8220 TR-Fiber boxes, even using the old mini-BNC connectors.