Eagle Technology Inc has launched a range of server-based managed hub boards, the NE32Hub family, for the 32-bit EISA bus. The San Jose, California-based company says the products are intended to provide managed 10Base-T hubs for the NetWare environment at the price of unmanaged hubs. The NE32Hub-Base board combines a 32-bit network interface board with a 12-port hub, while hub expansion is provided by the NE32Hub-TPE: each of these boards adds an additional 12 ports, and takes up one EISA bus slot. In total, nine of the boards can be used, providing up to 120 10Base-T ports per server. The final member of the family, the NE32Hub-PME, provides an optional AUI/BNC backbone connection. The hubs are to be bundled with Novell Inc’s NetWare Hub Services software, including Hubcon and an Simple Network Management Protocol-compliant agent. It is possible to manage the hub functions either at the server, or – using Novell’s NetWare Remote Management Facility – from a remote location. Co-developed by Novell, the NE32Hub can be used with NetWare 3.11 or later file servers, and the company is keen to emphasise that ongoing compatibility is assured since the drivers are written by the Provo, Utah NetWare onlie begetter itself. It also complies with the IEEE 802.3 multi-port repeater specification, and incorporates built-in diagnostics. To be available in September, the Base, TPE and PME boards cost $840, $640 and $100 respectively. Standard connections on the Base and TPE boards are via a 50-pin RJ-21 Telco connector, but the company is also offering an optional rack of RJ-45 connectors for $55.
