I have a few IBM network cables with square connectors on the end. I believe it is some form of token ring but I have no idea what the connector is called. Is there any demand for these cables? I got it from a closing grocery store.
IBM Squaer network cable What is it called?
Sep 25, 2005
3 Replies
The cables are most likely type/cat 1. With a token ring type A connector. They are very obsolete. Here is a web page with the various types of type 1 cable ends.
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Note that type/cat 1 is shielded twisted pair and in fact is much better then Cat 5 cable as it is shielded. If memory serves correctly, the max length is 1500 feet for token ring, on this type cable.
bob in phx
IBM cabling system Type 1 ... 2 pair 18 AWG as I remember - circa 1980s. Plugged into a passive MAU
BTW, the founder and president of my current firm is the US TR patent holder for this (and worked for IBM Scandinavia in 1970s - where it was originally developed)
gb
Well partially right. After the 1984 Judge Green legal decision (breaking up AT&T - so AT&T could go into the computer business to compete against IBM) IBM developed a "Type cabling system" in an attempt to standardize the data cabling infrastructures -- for the vendor (mfg) specific & proprietary cabling solutions (e.g. Datapoint had ARCnet with RG-62/U 93 ohm cable; Ethernet has 10-Base-2 and 10-Base-5 used 50 ohm coax cables; Proteon ProNet
4 & 10 which used shielded twisted pair; AT&T had StarLAN; Novell had StarNet) I installed Type 1 cabling during 1980s and it was a bear to retrofit into existing buildings. Improper termination at the patch panel caused most of the problems -- cable installers hated the stuff.AT&T desired to reuse existing Bell installed unshielded twisted pair cabling. I believe that Anixter was the first with AT&T to developed the "Category designations (Cat 1; Cat 2; Cat 3). I once had all of this PHY specification documentation from 1970s and 1980s - but finally pitched much of it in late 1990s.
gb
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