phil@diablo.amd.com (Phil Ngai) (08/16/89)
In article <POLLACK.89Aug15145230@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu> pollack@cis.ohio-state.edu writes: |A new dept being set up here wants to buy a couple of PC's and a |Laserwriter for now, and install them on an ethernet (planning |for Suns in the future). | |However, if PC-NFS is just a client server, it is doubtful that the |ethernet can be used to share the printer. Yet it seems silly to put |in a different LAN just for the PC's to accomplish this printsharing goal. I believe that TOPS is supposed to do what you want. I haven't tested it in that mode, however. -- Phil Ngai, phil@diablo.amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil "Nonviolence works! India hasn't had to use their nuclear weapons yet."
cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (08/17/89)
In article <POLLACK.89Aug15145230@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu>, pollack@toto.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jordan B Pollack) writes: > A new dept being set up here wants to buy a couple of PC's and a > Laserwriter for now, and install them on an ethernet (planning > for Suns in the future). > > However, if PC-NFS is just a client server, it is doubtful that the > ethernet can be used to share the printer. Yet it seems silly to put > in a different LAN just for the PC's to accomplish this printsharing goal. > > Suggestions for appropriate solutions will be appreciated. > > Jordan Pollack If you really expect to have Suns in the future, this is not a bad idea -- but I think you need at least one Sun attached to your net to serve the Laserwriter. If you aren't concerned about future Suns, you can use TOPS to share your printer with multiple PCs and with Macs, though it won't be as fast as Ethernet. Our configuration here is PCs running PC-NFS on an Ethernet connecting all our Suns. We have Apple LaserWriters connected to Macs on Appletalk. We have a protocol converter box from Kinetics that gateways from Ethernet to Appletalk. It was very complicated to get working and while I would recommend any individual component, I wouldn't recommend all of them working together. If you have applications on the PCs that don't talk PostScript, contact the company below. They sell a tool that may be of use to you. Niche Marketing 7198 Camino Colegio Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 795-7342 -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer A pacifist who calls the police isn't one; hired violence is still violence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!
bb16@prism.gatech.EDU (BOSTATER,Scott) (08/17/89)
In article <26774@amdcad.AMD.COM>, phil@diablo.amd.com (Phil Ngai) writes: > |However, if PC-NFS is just a client server, it is doubtful that the > |ethernet can be used to share the printer. Yet it seems silly to put > |in a different LAN just for the PC's to accomplish this printsharing goal. > > I believe that TOPS is supposed to do what you want. I haven't tested > it in that mode, however. We've had some problems using TOPS to printshare an Applewriter. If no one is using the printer, people with PCs can print with no problem. If there's other jobs pending, the file won't print. People with Macs have their print jobs qued properly. So far nobody here has figured out why this happens, then again, nobody has tried *too* hard either. Has anybody out there had a similar experience? -- Scott Bostater GTRI/RAIL/RAD (Ga. Tech) "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him" -Ps 62.1 uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!bb16 Internet: bb16@prism.gatech.edu