[ih] Early LANs

[Bob Purvy]

I'm writing a screenplay for a TV series on my book *The Big Bucks, *which
takes place in the early 80's. I'm thinking the rule in storytelling is
always "show, don't tell" and so I'm thinking of dramatizing the process of
stringing ARCnet between three faculty offices. This is a guerilla effort,
not an official University project. Matt is a grad student who's helping
the two junior faculty, Dr. Liu and Dr. Srinivasan.

I hope some of you have enough knowledge to spot any howlers. It's OK to
leave details out, but I don't want to have any IN that are wrong. The time
is mid 1983.

What I'm thinking is, Matt uses the return-air plenum to string the coax.
The initial installation would just be three adjacent faculty offices in
the CS department. It would be a star configuration, like this:

Unnamed            Dr. Srinivasan           Dr. Liu
----------------------------------------------------
PC and  -- coax --- Hub and PC  -- coax --    PC
printer

======

INT. FACULTY OFFICE AT U. OF MINN. - NIGHT

Matt is carrying a ladder into Dr. Liu’s office. The building is deserted
except for his and the two offices left of his, which have the lights on.
Matt has a bundle of coaxial cable, and there is a box of electronic
components and floppies on Dr. Liu’s desk.

Dr. Srinivasan is a young Indian man, wearing jeans and a horizontally
striped polo shirt.

MATT

Everybody’s got their Datapoint manuals?

They both nod.

MATT

Alright then, let’s get this show on the road. Can you clear out the back
corner there?

He points to the left rear corner of the office. Dr. Liu and Dr. Srinivasan
move the filing cabinets forward, and Matt sets up the ladder in the
corner. He hands one end of the cable to Dr. Liu.

MATT

Hold this. You’re going to be attaching it to your adapter.

He goes up the ladder, carrying the bundle of cable with him, and pushes up
the ceiling panel. A cloud of dust falls on him. He pushes the bundle in,
then comes back down.

MATT

OK, let’s go next door. Hold that end down with something.

Dr. Liu puts a stack of books on the end of the cable and he and Dr.
Srinivasan follow Matt out the door. They go into Dr. Srinivasan’s office
and set up the ladder at the right back corner. Matt goes up the ladder and
pushes up the ceiling panel. Another cloud of dust comes down. He reaches
in, grabs the bundle of cable, and hands it to Dr. Liu, who’s standing at
the foot of the ladder. Then he comes down.

DR. SRINIVASAN

Let me guess: now we go next door?

MATT

No, now we set up the hub. And you’re hosting it!

Dr. Srinivasan points to himself with a “me?” expression. Matt goes back to
Dr. Liu’s office. He returns with a small box and a pair of diagonal
cutters.

MATT

Where do you want it?

Dr. Srinivasan points to the right corner of his office. Matt cuts the
cable with his cutters, then hands a stripping tool to Dr. Srinivasan.

MATT

Your job is to get all the ends stripped and ready for the BNC connectors.
You up for it?

DR. LIU

I’ll help. I’ve been reading up on this.

MATT

Hold the ends. I’m going next door to finish the cabling. Then we’re going
to install the software and connect your PC’s.

DR. LIU

And next door is where the printer is!

DR. SRINIVASAN

So fun. The mainframe guys are going to be so jealous!