At 02:08 PM 1/24/00 -0600, you wrote:
>What are the distance constraints on DTC's as opposed
>to the limitations on a LAN? I have a second building
>going in that will be used primarily for shipping and
>as such need only have 2-3 terminals, but is stretching
>the limit on my LAN. If I could get another 100 yds in
>some fashion I'd be ok.

I'll answer this the two ways DTCs can communicate:

For the network side, usually I get above 100 Meters on a Cat 5 cable.  You
should be able either switch the DTC to twisted pair or use a transceiver.
If you are going to add a transceiver and cost is not a problem, use Fiber
Optic (10BaseF or FOIRL) cable between the buildings. There are also
twisted pair extenders for 10BaseT. Extending the 10Base2 (ThinLAN) beyond
the specification can affect everyone on the segment.

For serial connections, most specifications show 25 feet. I have seen
people use 1000+ feet of cable for RS-232 from an HP terminal to a DTC. I
have seen people fry cards in the DTC when the ground potential of the two
buildings was very different (Denver).  Always use some form of electrical
isolation between building unless you are assured that the grounds are the
same. Serial cables can be isolated or extended with Fiber Optic also, but
if you are going to that expense, use a network cable.

Hope it helps,
neal
800-682-0200
<http://www.minisoft.com>