Thinnet is RG58 type coaxial cable used in local area network configurations.
Thinnet is a name for the RG58-type coaxial cable used in early Ethernet local area network (LAN) configurations. Also called thin Ethernet or 10BASE2, thinnet used a relatively thin, flexible coaxial cable to connect computers in a bus topology, with devices tapped onto the cable. The RG58 coax provided the controlled impedance needed for the network signals.
Thinnet was valued for being thinner, more flexible, and easier to handle than the thicker coaxial cable it succeeded, though it has since been largely replaced by twisted-pair and fiber cabling in modern networks. Recognizing thinnet helps in understanding the history of network cabling and legacy installations.
In commercial and industrial settings, thinnet served data networking in its era, and the term remains relevant to legacy systems. Recognizing it helps in interpreting references to older network cable.
Because thinnet was thinner, more flexible, and easier to handle than the thicker coaxial cable it succeeded, it was valued for early networks, though it has since been largely replaced by twisted-pair and fiber cabling, with the term remaining relevant to legacy installations.
Recognizing thinnet helps in interpreting references to older network cable, since RG58 coax served early Ethernet LANs before twisted-pair and fiber cabling became the structured standard in commercial and industrial networks.
At Windy City Wire, an understanding of network cabling, including legacy types like thinnet, reflects a broad awareness of data cable. Recognizing how RG58 coax served early LANs helps illustrate the evolution toward the structured cabling used in commercial and industrial networks today.
Also called thin Ethernet or 10BASE2