CTI 2572 Technical Overview Manual
11
Although 10Base2 cabling avoids the expense of a hub, it presents a major disadvantage for large
installations. Because "T" connectors are used at each tap, there are two connections to the main
cable for each node. Should a problem develop with the "T" connection, communications
between stations above the connector and stations below the cable would be lost. In addition, if
you need to add a station in the middle of a cabling run, you must splice in another connection.
Usually this involves taking the network down for a period of time.
10BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
Recent developments in Ethernet
technology have allowed the use of
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cabling.
UTP cabling is essentially high grade
telephone cable terminating in a modular
plug (RJ-45). 10BaseT uses a hub
technology; network stations are
connected to the hub via the UTP cabling.
The hub internally connects all the ports
together into a bus. Active components
in the hub enhance signal quality by re-
aligning packets and retransmitting
signals. Network attachments are made
via 10baseT transceivers attached to the
AUI port or directly via a RJ-45 jack on the adapter.
The 10BaseT standard allows each UTP cable from the hub to be up to 100 meters (about 300
feet) in length. Hubs can be cascaded or interconnected to extend the total span of the 10baseT
network. Stations can be added to a hub by simply running a cable from the hub to the new
station. The new cable can be attached to the hub while the network is active.
One of the key benefits of the 10baseT hub technology is that it provides a sound basis for
network management. For example, the hub can detect problems (such as excessive collisions)
on a given port and can disconnect the problem port, preventing that one segment from adversely
affecting other stations. In addition, the hub can collect data regarding network traffic for
subsequent retrieval and analysis by a network management program. Many hubs can be
configured to send an alarm message to the network management station if a predetermined
condition is encountered.
Transceiver
10BaseT Port
Station
AUI Port
Station
10BaseT Port
Station
10BaseT Hub
Figure 6 10BaseT (Unshielded Twisted Pair)
Topology
