Re: Twinax printer over a network -- MIDRANGE-L

The network guy has not been here all that long. This is one of maybe two twinax devices in the hospital. It was set up maybe six years ago. Network guy did not understand the connection. He felt that it had no business being on the switch, since it wasn't a network (TCP/IP) printer. Issue has been resolved. I just did not understand what he was trying to say.

I thought what was going on is pretty much as you describe it. I don't know if there is a star panel, or if one is needed. I was wondering if the network switch could be set up in such a way that a port always and only connects to another specific port.

I think the reason it was set up this way was to avoid the hassle of pulling a twinax cable that distance, and maybe getting too far.

John McKee

-----Original message-----
From: "Mark Murphy/STAR BASE Consulting Inc." mmurphy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:51:07 -0600
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Twinax printer over a network

5250 is not routable, it can't go through the network switches. Typically Ethernet uses 2 of the four pairs of a cat 5 cable, and If I remember correctly the baluns use the other two pairs. However, since the same cable does not use both Ethernet and 5250 at the same time (it has to be plugged in to either a network port or a balun at each end). What we had was an active star panel attached to our rack just above the network hub (it was a long time ago). On the back of the star panel was a twinax cable that plugged in to the brick attached to the workstation controller. The star panel acted as the balun, but for all seven switch positions for the string (one RJ-45 plug for each). The twisted pair jumper cable was attached between the star panel and the patch panel, then out in the office another cable plugged in from the wall to the balun on the device. The 5250 traffic and the network traffic never really coexisted on the same wire, but each wire could carry either.

I am thinking that either you need to patch between the cable that goes to your star panel and the one that goes to the device, or the star panel needs to be reinstalled in the switch closet.

computer <==> brick <=TwinAx=> star panel <=C5=> patch panel <=C5=> balun/device

or

computer <==> brick/balun <=C5=> patch panel <=C5=> patch panel <=C5=> balun/device

In both of these, there might be one or more wall plates that the wires pass through between the balun and the patch panel. And there might be multiple patch panels as long as the electrical connection is direct between the device and the brick without network routers or switches intervening.

Mark Murphy
STAR BASE Consulting, Inc.
mmurphy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: -----
To: "Midrange Systems Technical Discussion" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "John McKee"
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 11/09/2011 10:45AM
Subject: Twinax printer over a network

We have an IPDS printer attached to WCS2. But, the connection is over the hospital network. The network guy is asking me how it is connected. The switch closet was recently upgraded. He is looking for a link light. All I recall is that the printer is twinax and runs through a balun and thence to the network. It gets connected to the another port and thence to a balun and a twinax controller. The network guy, who upgraded the switch, is telling me that "it will still need to be on the proper VLAN if it is doing layer 2 routing".

What is he saying?

John McKee
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