VOGONS

Search

Common searches

Retro Computer Networking Questions

Topic actions

First post, by daibido1123

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hi all.

So I am in the middle of moving my family and I to a new place, and for once, I will have a room for my office that I will not need to share the space with. So I am planning to set up all my old systems, and I have network hardware for all of them. Sadly not all use the same Network standards. Some use ARCNET, some use ECONET, some use Token Ring, and some use Coax Ethernet(Thin net and Thick net). I am already setting up a Turing Pi Docker machine for RetroNAS, a Firewall for this part of my home LAN(due to the old protocols being a sign that says "HACK ME!"), Network Translating Switch, and as my Asterisk VoIP box(Which also helps old machines use dial-up if needed). So setting up a VM on it to handle Network Maqurading to allow everything to talk to each other is no issue.

Now we come to the crux of my question. I know that with the Coax Ethernet and the IBM Token system, a Ring LAN Topology is doable(IBM Token being required) and is my Retro section of the LAN; I am planning The Turing Box to function as the Start/End of the Ethernet Ring and the Token Ring. What I can not find information on is regarding ARCNET and ECONET, if I can configure them in a Ring Topology in terms of the wiring of the Network, as I could with Ethernet or The Token Ring MAU units. So is it possible to wire the ARCNET and ECONET LANs into a ring?

I am asking this because I am wanting these machines on their respective LANs to have the best communication between them, especially if I plan on having friends over for Network Multiplayer fun, as well as for when I do file transfers from and to the RetroNAS storage.

Thanks for all your time on such a dumb and rambly long-winded question.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous
Confucius

Reply 1 of 3, by Grzyb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I don't know about Econet, but none of the other network systems you mentioned use ring topology...
- Coax Ethernet uses bus
- Arcnet uses star or bus
- Token Ring uses star at the physical layer, the "Ring" is virtual - it's about the order in which the token is being passed on

Żywotwór planetarny, jego gnijące błoto, jest świtem egzystencji, fazą wstępną, i wyłoni się z krwawych ciastomózgowych miedź miłująca...

Reply 2 of 3, by daibido1123

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Grzyb wrote on 2023-03-04, 05:17:
I don't know about Econet, but none of the other network systems you mentioned use ring topology... - Coax Ethernet uses bus - A […]
Show full quote

I don't know about Econet, but none of the other network systems you mentioned use ring topology...
- Coax Ethernet uses bus
- Arcnet uses star or bus
- Token Ring uses star at the physical layer, the "Ring" is virtual - it's about the order in which the token is being passed on

Ring Topology is, in this case, that instead of terminating the ends of the Bus, you loop it back to the starting point. In short, if using BNC Coax, Like Thin Net and ARCNET, the ends are not terminated but looped back to the first computer in the chain. So Each computer uses a BNC T-Connector, with a physical wire on both sides, and the last computer in the chain is then wired to the first, using a T-Connector, instead of being wired directly and being the termination point.

With Thin and Thick Net Ethernet, you can do this, but with ARCNET, I do not know if you can do this. The Network is still a Bus configuration, but it is a Looped Bus instead of being Terminated.

https://www.sunbirddcim.com/glossary/ring-top … ectional%20ring.

A link with a simplified explanation better than mine.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous
Confucius

Reply 3 of 3, by daibido1123

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Ok, thanks to someone PMing me a link to two PDFs, A Ring Topology for ARCNET and ECONET is a no-go since it would cause an "Echo" in the network that could cause it to break.

So with ARCNET, for what I want to do, I would need to do a daisy chain, with the endpoint being the RetroNAS, and with the ECONET setup, it would have to be a Star/Bus setup, which is not the end of the world.

I have my answer, so thanks for your time.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous
Confucius

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window