Cabletron Systems Inc, headquartered in Rochester, New Hampshire, has introduced multi-channel Ethernet support for its Multi-Media Access Center with a Flexible Network Bus hub. The new advanced MultiChannel Ethernet Modules integrate up to three Ethernet networks in flexible network bus chassis. The line includes the Ethernet Management Module, which Cabletron claims is the industry’s first four-port, high-performance management and bridging module, for the intelligent concentrator, and four Repeater Media Interface Modules – the TPRMIM-33, TPRMIM-36, CXRMIM and FORMIM-22. At the heart of Cabletron’s new line of MultiChannel modules is the Ethernet Management Module, a RISC-based multi-port bridge and Ethernet concentrator management module with Simple Network Management Protocol support. It includes support for the Internet Engineering Task Force Remote Monitor and Bridge Management Information Bases. The Ethernet management module bridges between three Ethernet channels on the hub backplane and a fourth connected to the module face plate. Cabletron’s four new Mul-ti-Channel Repeater Media Interface Modules add two additional Ethernet channels to the Flexible Network Bus. The 10Base-T Twisted Pair repeater Modules, the TPRMIM-33 and TPRMIM-36, are 10Base-T twisted pair communications modules. Each TPRMIM-33 and TPRMIM-36 provides 13 and 26 device connector ports respectively, and they have an additional user-definable Ethernet port, the Cabletron Ethernet Port Interface Module. Seven different Interface Modules are available for different media and connector types. The Coaxial Repeater Media Interface Module is a 10Base-2 thin co-ax communications module, providing users with 12 ports for connecting local area segments. An additional user-configurable Ethernet Port Interface Module provides the ability to add an additional Ethernet port of any media communications type. The 10Base-F Fibre Optic Repeater Media Interface Module is a 10Base-F communications module providing users with 12 ST multi-mode fibre connections. It functions as a 12 port repeater. No UK prices are yet available, but in the US the products will be available in 90 days, the Ethernet Management Module is $8,000, the TPRMIM-33 costs $2,500, the TPRMIM-36 is $4,000, the Fibre Optic Module comes in at $4,300 and the Coaxial Module costs $2,500.
