3Com 510M-FBP, 5102M-FBP Understanding the General Rules, Rules for Configuring a Network

Understanding the General Rules

This section describes general rules for configuring an Ethernet network using fiber as the backbone medium. It also provides rules to ensure that your network configuration conforms to distance limitations imposed by Ethernet and networking equipment. Use these guidelines for building your network.

Refer to the sections that follow for specific rules for:

❑Determining maximum 10BASE-FB fiber link distances

❑Connecting various horizontal media types (10BASE-FB, twisted pair) to a 10BASE-FB backbone

❑Examples of recommended fault-tolerant configurations

Rules for Configuring a Network

This section outlines the network rules and recommendations for building an Ethernet network. For more hardware-specific information on the 10BASE-FB, refer to Appendix A.

Table 2-1. Basic Network Rules

Rule	Definition	Recommendations/Notes
1	Use 10BASE-FB as the	Use 62.5 micron cable to
	backbone medium.	conform with the IEEE 10BASE-F
		and ANSI FDDI standards.
		Use ST-type connectors.
2	Wire the backbone in a	Lay extra fiber cables. The extra
	star topology to isolate	cost is small and you will need
	faults.	them as your network grows.

2 - 2 ONline Ethernet 10BASE-FB Module Installation and Operation Guide