SynOptics
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Networking hardware |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Andrew K. Ludwick, Ronald V. Schmidt |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Fate | Merged with Wellfleet Communications to form Bay Networks |
| Headquarters | Santa Clara , United States |
| Products | Modular Ethernet hubs, LattisNet networking products |
SynOptics Communications, Inc. operated as a networking hardware manufacturer located in Santa Clara, California, from 1985 until 1994. The company was a trailblazer in developing modular Ethernet hubs and advancing high-speed Ethernet transmission over both copper twisted-pair and fiber optic cables.
History
Established in 1985 by Andrew K. Ludwick and Ronald V. Schmidt, who previously worked at Xerox PARC, SynOptics introduced its flagship product, LattisNet (initially named AstraNet), in 1987. This breakthrough allowed offices to utilize existing unshielded twisted-pair wiring for networking purposes, eliminating the reliance on coaxial cables. The adoption of a star topology network design streamlined network management and played a significant role in Ethernet’s broad acceptance.
Prior to the establishment of the 10BASE-T standard, various approaches for Ethernet over twisted-pair cabling were in use, including StarLAN. LattisNet shared similarities with 10BASE-T but differed in voltage levels and signaling methods; following the release of the official standard, SynOptics revised its product line accordingly.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, SynOptics launched early versions of 10BASE-2 hubs alongside pre-standard LattisNet and 100BASE-TX devices. The company dominated the Ethernet LAN hub sector, outperforming rivals such as 3Com and Cabletron. Despite intense pricing pressures, SynOptics reached an annual revenue high of $700 million in 1993.
In an effort to transition from commoditized Layer 1/2 Ethernet hardware towards more lucrative Layer 3 networking solutions, SynOptics merged with Wellfleet Communications, headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, in July 1994. This $2.7 billion merger resulted in the formation of Bay Networks. At that time, SynOptics was based in uniquely designed sloped structures located at Great America Parkway and Mission College Boulevard in Santa Clara—an area notable for networking startups like Ungermann-Bass. These premises are currently occupied by Palo Alto Networks.
Bay Networks was subsequently acquired by the Canadian telecommunications company Nortel in June 1998 for $9.1 billion, leading to the creation of Nortel Networks.