All the socket boxes in my Econet are SJ Research Socket boxes. I have a couple of Acorn socket boxes (see picture) but these seem to be completely different in layout internally and I could not work out how to wire them up when I expanded my Econet in March 2003 so they will be added later.

Socket boxes are wired together internally with network cable and they provide outlets for stations to be connected to the network via a 5-pin DIN lead to the Econet port.

The clock is connected to a split socket box. This has two sockets like a normal socket box but also has two short leads with DIN plugs to connect to the clock.

I have a terminator plug somewhere. I am not sure if it is in the right place but I have never had any problems with the dreaded network echoes, reflections or data bouncing round the net.

Originally my Econet consisted of Station 254 (the FileStore), Station 1 (a BBC Master) and Station 128 (a BBC Model B). I added Station 200 (another BBC Master) to my Econet in March 2003. I added a FileStore E20 in May 2003.

The three initial stations were more or less next to each other in a row so it was not too difficult to wire the socket boxes together. I have had to put Station 200 a short distance away on the other side of the room so I wired it up as follows:

I cut an Econet lead in half and connected the plug end to Station 200 and wired the other end to an SJ Research socket box. I then took a long length of network cable and wired this to another socket box. From this I took the other half of the Econet lead and plugged it into the existing network. It is a fairly unorthodox installation but it works - except that the FileStore clock does not reach Station 200.

The cable I use is "4 core with shield" black cable. The Econet leads are some original Acorn Econet leads (some black and some grey) and some are brand new 5-pin DIN leads.

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