Neil Croft wrote in a message to All:
 NC> Interesting problem at work this week which has had us all 
 NC> scratching our heads for a definitive answer. Does a UTP-fibre 
 NC> converter count as a repeater for the purpose of adding up 
 NC> repeater hops?
It depends.
 NC> If it does then I've exceeded anyone's recomendations and that 
 NC> may explain why one of our support teams can't get an Slist in 
 NC> a reasonable time in their new office. If it doesn't then I'm 
 NC> right and they're talking doo doo again.
The repeater count limitation is intended to deal with signal skewing and 
other factors, including transit time.  If the converter regenerates the 
signal, then it does not count as a repeater.  If the converter processes the 
signal entirely as an analog amplifier, like a conventional repeater, then it 
does count as a repeater.
 
-- Mike
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