tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney) (12/09/87)
In article <11540069@hpsmtc1.HP.COM> dlw@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (David Williams) writes: >Well I've recently put in my order for the Ethertalk card for the ol Mac II. >What kind of software comes with it(if any)? Aside from plugging the II into >our ethernet LAN is there anything else exciting I should expect from this >product and any software that accompanies it? No application software comes with it, just the drivers and a new cdev (Control Panel file) which controls whether the Appletalk protocols will use the Appletalk/Localtalk/Applebus/Sidhutalk/whatever port, or the Ethernet connection. However, all existing Appletalk software will run transparently over Ethernet - or at least all that we've tried. That includes things like the Laserwriter driver, TOPS, Intermail, and so forth, as well as new products like (plug) TOPS Terminal. >We also have our Labs Vectras (IBM compatibles) hooked up with 3com type lan >cards on the same network, along with a Vectra server with an Hp Laserjet >hanging off of it. Can I communicate with these? The server is running Hp's >ThinLAN server software on it. Theoretically, but you'll have to write your own network software that calls the Ethernet driver, the Appletalk driver, TOPS TCP/IP, or whatever protocol is required. Not a small task. >Do I gain any benefit in connectivity by now acquiring the Mac Ethertalk >card? Not strictly, as long as your Appletalk is now connected to your Ethernet by a FastPath or other Appletalk-Ethernet gateway. The gains are in speed, not in connectivity. There's no protocol translation software included, and none that I know of is available. -- Tim Maroney, {ihnp4,sun,well,ptsfa,lll-crg}!hoptoad!tim (uucp) hoptoad!tim@lll-crg (arpa)
dlw@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (David Williams) (12/10/87)
Ok I'll bite, what is TOPS terminal, TOPS TCP/IP? I have tops 1.8 for the mac II and the same with a tops card in my vectra. What I want to do is just plug myself into the ethernet cable running thru my cubicle and be able to access our Unix boxes on our private internet, which does run TCP/Ip & ARPA stuff. Would the Telnet stuff that the National supercomputing center has for the mac allow me to do that? Do I need a kinetics box and why do I need it? ethernet is ethernet right?