Chapter 3
3-2
How 10BaseT Uses Existing Telephone Wiring
Buildings are usually wired for telephones in a star topology: wires run from one
or more central locations, called wiring closets, to wall jacks in each office.
A small building may have only one wiring closet; large buildings often have
multiple wiring closets which are interconnected. Multi-story buildings usually
have at least one wiring closet on each floor. The wall jacks on a floor are
connected to the wiring closet(s) on that floor. The wiring closets in a multi-story
building are often connected in a hierarchy. For example, a ten story building
might have a main wiring closet in the basement connected to ten satellite wiring
closets (one on each floor).
With 10BaseT, this installed telephone wire can often be used for local area
networks. This makes installation and maintenance simpler and less expensive.
Asanté has designed its products to take advantage of the existing star network
you already have: your telephone system, with twisted-pair cable radiating out to
every desk from a central wiring cabinet. You can use this cabling for your local
area network. By taking advantage of available wire pairs in existing telephone
wire, you avoid costs of cable installation. If you need additional cable,
telephone wire is much less expensive than thin Ethernet cable or thick Ethernet
cable:
Approximate cost Cable type
$0.10/foot 24-gauge twisted-pair cable
$0.55/foot thin Ethernet
$3.00/foot thick Ethernet
The advantages of star networks go well beyond economy. Telephone research
and development have proven the superior reliability of star wiring plans and the
ease with which they can be reconfigured. When a problem arises on one
branch of a star, that branch can be shut down for repair without affecting other
network users. By transferring wires in the central wiring closet, you can change
or add to your star network as easily as you move or add a telephone line.
Pre-Installation
Assign a Network Manager
A network manager initially coordinates the design and installation of the
network. Once the network is up and running, the network manager is
responsible for adding new users to the network and troubleshooting problems.
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