I have a 10baseT network but need to connect in a PC in a location where there is only an old 10base2 coax cable available. I therefore need some sort of media converter but am having trouble finding anything. Any suggestions ?

I don't think you are going to get one. They might have been available when 10base2 networks were common but the only chance of finding on no is likely to be in a junk shop.

It would be all the expensive to convert to 10baseT and Cat5 cable is a lot cheaper than co-ax.

Stuart

Its expensive, but perhaps this is what you need.

http://www.become.com/cable-convert...

Before posting try google. Backup. Use anti virus software.

Why not change the network card in the machine to one with the proper adapter? The 3COM 3C509 comes to mind..

Life's more painless for the brainless.

You may be able to find a hub with both rj-45 and bnc connections.

If it were me, I'd use the existing coax to pull some Cat5e and replace it.

If that's not possible, then you'll need at least one NIC that has a BNC connector on it and a second card with an RJ-45. You can then use a PC (with both NIC's in it) to be your media converter.

NOTE: You can't do it with a dual head card (that has both the BNC and an RJ-45).

Thanks for the replies.

Firstly replacing the coax with Cat5 is completely out of the question. The location is an offshore oil platform and to do this would literally take days and cost thousands !

Clive: I have a similar device but it does not seem to be bi-directional. Coax to Cat5 yes but the other way no.

Jennifer: I have a 3c509 NIC. I think you have misunderstood the problem.

Wizard: I have one of these also, a Netgear EN108, but like the other device it doesn't seem top be bi-directional.

Curt: A cable pull not possible as stated and if I understand what you are suggesting that would require a dedicated PC at the launch end which is not too practical unfortunately.

Am I missing something and the devices I have are bi-directional I wonder ?

Do please keep em coming though ;<))

"it does not seem to be bi-directional"

If it works at all then assume configuration or defective device.

It may be that you have to set each machine to half duplex. Easy in coax but not always easy in 10baseT

"Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, are in my top 10

Firstly replacing the coax with Cat5 is completely out of the question. The location is an offshore oil platform and to do this would literally take days and cost thousands !

Ok, is there nobody physically at this offshore drilling site?

If the coax is in conduit, then the job could be done in a matter of minutes.

Even if there's no conduit, it could still be done. It might take a couple hours........but days and thousands of dollars.......I'm sorry but I'm not buying that........unless of course, this is an unmanned site and there's nobody physically at it. In which case, I can see it would be costly, but I still can't see it costing thousands and taking days.

If there is one person, or more than one, then you obviously have to ship supplies to them somehow. A box of cable could be sent with the regular supply ship/helicopter/plane or whatever you use to get men/supplies to the rig. Then it's just a matter of there being someone on site smart enough to attach the Cat5e to the coax and pull it.

I've pulled many many miles of cables over the years in all kinds of interesting places and conditions and I can't think of any reason it would take more than a couple hours (at the very most) considering you already have coax in place that you could use to pull the new cable.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not trying to be rude. But personally, I don't believe it would take as long, or be as expensive as you say.

If you hunt around long enough, you may find an old old hub or bridge that has both BNC connectors and RJ-45's. However, considering it's been a long long time since anybody actually used any thinnet coaxial cable in industry, I'd guess your chances of finding anything like that are somewhere between slim and nonexistent.

Thanks jefro, I'll maybe do a bit more experimenting with the devices I have.

Curt: 'Interesting places and conditions' or not you've obviously never been on an oil rig let alone pulled a cable on one so allow me give you some inkling of whats involved in such an apparently simple task.

I'll leave aside the planning side of it except to say that on an oil platform with gas and other potentially deadly hydrocarbons all around you do not just modify something. Proposed modifications to just about anything have to be submitted for review for impact analysis and there is a cost for the office bods to do this.

Virtually all cabling on an oil rig passes through bulkheads and deckheads (walls and ceilings to you) via things called transits which provide a vital gas tight seal. There can be dozens of cables of various sizes in any particular one and it can often be the case that you have to almost completely dismantle it to get the new cable in. This alone can take a day per transit.

If a cable is wholly contained in a designated 'safe' area, such as the accommodation module for instance then, depending on the particular application and what it's carrying, you can sometimes use a non armoured type but if passes to the outside, that then it will need to be armoured and have a flameproof sheathing. The existing coax does pass mostly outside so is armoured and flameproof. Potential cost of a 100m drum of armoured Cat5 plus shipped offshore, absolute minimum $1000.

Assuming one gets the go ahead to pull a cable then, depending on the distance and difficulty of the routing, where it goes, how many transits need to be split and how crowded they are etc. it will take at least 2 men, and possibly several more, to actually do the job. These men would not be minimum wage eastern european labourers but either qualified electricians or technicians and in very very round and conservative numbers you can average that out at at least $1000 per man day. At a rough estimate I would expect to be able to do this job with just 2 men but for it to take maybe 3 days, so that's $6000.

I hope you're getting the message now that this is not quite the same as pulling in a new lighting flex in your loft and why I say replacing the the coax is out of the question !

But thanks for the input ;<))

SUCCESS !!!!!

Into one media converter with Cat5 - out on coax - coax into another media converter at the far end then out again on Cat5.

Theoretically I don't understand why I need the far end converter and can't go straight in on coax but it works and that's all that matters ;<))

Simple really.

Thanks all for the help.