Emeryville, California-based Farallon Computing Inc is shipping its PhoneNET StarController and StarConnector products, which, when used in conjunction with Farallon’s existing line of linking products, enable Macintosh users to access either AppleTalk or Ethernet networks over existing telephone wires without locking users into one network or the other. Accordingly, Farallon is marketing the products as eithernet solutions. The PhoneNET Ethernet products are compatible with Novell’s Kinetics EtherPort family of products for the Macintosh; Farallon says an Etherport L board simplifies the Ethernet connection and makes it more economical for users by combining the function of a StarConnector with the Ethernet card for their Macintoshes. The StarConnector is needed for network devices such as the FastPath, which will not accept an EtherPort card and for other Ethernet interface board cards that do not accept a twisted-pair connection directly. Part of the package is the StarCommand 2.0 network management software, which constantly monitors both AppleTalk and Ethernet networks; when a network problem occurs, the StarController isolates the problem device and StarCommand 2.0 automatically alerts the network manager – when the problem is solved, the System star wiring topology is compatible with LocalTalk, Ethernet, ISDN and Token Ring twisted-pair networks, and complies with the IEEE 802.3 networking standard. The Farallon StarController costs $2,500, including the StarCommand 2.0 software and the StarConnector is $200. Upgrades to StarCommand 2.0 are free to registered StarController customers. The EtherPort card is $600. Separately, Farallon says it has been awarded US patents on the PhoneNET connector technology which enables users to network their computers over existing telephone wires, and intends to license it.
