Even as HP ponders how much effort it’s going to expend on Distributed Terminal Controllers (DTCs), the devices are being attached to the most modern of HP e3000s. Hooking an N-Class or A-Class e3000 to a DTC requires a transceiver between the computer and controller, reports North American distributor Client Systems, which configures four of every five 3000s on the continent. The new servers do not have a BNC coaxial 802.3 connector on their core IO cards, and so must be connected to a DTC via the internal RJ45 10/100 connector or a 10/100 network card. An Ethertwist Transceiver (28685B or equivalent, about a $50 item at Black Box or $100 from HP) can be used to allow a DTC to have an RJ45 connector. The transceiver has an AUI port on one end, and an RJ-45 port on the other. Each DTC can also be connected to a hub or switch on the network via a CAT-5, RJ45 cable. Or one DTC can be connected directly to the A- or N-Class Server using a crossover CAT-5 cable, available from third-party vendors. A diagram of possible connection schemes is online at the 3kworld.com portal.