Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 68 Networking Fundamentals T-connector (connects directly to the back of the network card) 30 nodes maximum per segment Terminating resistor Straight connector Terminating resistor .5 meters Minimum cable length between nodes Ground Bus Topology RG-58 cable (thinnet) Maximum segment length: 185 meters (workstation icons) RedlineVector/Shutterstock.com Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 2-21 Physical characteristics of a 10Base2 network. 10Base5 Th e 10Base5 classifi cation was the fi rst IEEE 802.3 classifi cation developed for Eth- ernet. Th e 10Base5 classifi cation specifi es the use of RG-8 (thicknet) and a 10 Mbps data rate. Th e 10Base5 network, like 10Base2, uses a bus topology. However, the maximum segment length for a 10Base5 network is 500 meters. Each of the three segments that can connect to computers can connect to a maximum of 100. Th is al- lows a 10Base5 network to have a total of 300 computers. A computer attaches to the thicknet coaxial cable through an AUI cable and AUI connectors. AUI is the acronym for Attachment Unit Interface. Th e AUI connector is a 15-pin D-shell connector that is used to attach a cable to a network interface card or network device. One end of the AUI connector connects to the network interface card and the other end connects to a transceiver unit, as illustrated in Figure 2-22. Th e transceiver unit has a pair of spikes that pierce the cable’s insulating jacket, shield, and insulator and makes a connection with the center core conductor. Th e transceiver unit is often called a vampire tap. Maximum segment length: 500 meters Transceiver unit AUI or N-type connector PC RG-8 cable (thicknet) AUI cable Maximum cable length is 50 meters Minimum cable length between transceivers: 2.5 meters Figure 2-22 10Base5 connections using a vampire tap, a transceiver unit, and an Attachment Unit Interface (AUI). Cable lengths and type are also indicated. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher