Unlike some other NICs*, 10 Mbps utp or thinwire AAUI transceivers cannot be configured by the host Mac. They just work (or not work) out of the box. So you have to look at what the hub or switch can do to help you.
Hubs or bridges do not manage Ethernet traffic. The device has no IP address and there is no console. They just rumble along at 10 Mbps, squirting packets down the ports. My favourite hubs/bridges have utp and thinwire interfaces.
An unmanaged switch does not have an IP address and there is no console. However it tries to manage traffic based on MAC address. The instructions may claim that the device will auto negotiate with hosts, but if it fails there is little you can try as a fix other than a firmware upgrade. You cannot tell the switch that the NIC connected to Port 3 is unable to negotiate a speed setting; the solution is to place a hub or bridge between the NIC and switch.
A managed switch has an IP address and can be configured in various ways. Depending on the model, you may be able to tell the switch that the NIC connected to Port 3 is running at 10 Mbps half duplex. Managed switches are expensive when new, cheap when obsolete. Check how much power they consume if you are worried about electricity bills.
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In practice, most networking kit just works. There are a lot of non-standard Ethernet and non-standard LocalTalk tweaks out there, but you won't find them on many Macs. Some older 10 Mbps utp Mac NICs can be problematic, so buy a cheap hub while they are still around. Pick up a few lengths of thinwire, T-pieces and terminators, just in case.
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* If you have an Intel NIC in your desktop or laptop Windows or Mac OS X PC, you may be able to configure its speed in the advanced settings. The default is auto negotiation, but you can experiment. Other manufacturers provide similar functionality.
Hubs or bridges do not manage Ethernet traffic. The device has no IP address and there is no console. They just rumble along at 10 Mbps, squirting packets down the ports. My favourite hubs/bridges have utp and thinwire interfaces.
An unmanaged switch does not have an IP address and there is no console. However it tries to manage traffic based on MAC address. The instructions may claim that the device will auto negotiate with hosts, but if it fails there is little you can try as a fix other than a firmware upgrade. You cannot tell the switch that the NIC connected to Port 3 is unable to negotiate a speed setting; the solution is to place a hub or bridge between the NIC and switch.
A managed switch has an IP address and can be configured in various ways. Depending on the model, you may be able to tell the switch that the NIC connected to Port 3 is running at 10 Mbps half duplex. Managed switches are expensive when new, cheap when obsolete. Check how much power they consume if you are worried about electricity bills.
---
In practice, most networking kit just works. There are a lot of non-standard Ethernet and non-standard LocalTalk tweaks out there, but you won't find them on many Macs. Some older 10 Mbps utp Mac NICs can be problematic, so buy a cheap hub while they are still around. Pick up a few lengths of thinwire, T-pieces and terminators, just in case.
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* If you have an Intel NIC in your desktop or laptop Windows or Mac OS X PC, you may be able to configure its speed in the advanced settings. The default is auto negotiation, but you can experiment. Other manufacturers provide similar functionality.