mdr@reed.UUCP (09/16/87)
What is the status of putting an Ethernet card into an SE or MacII and using the machine, connected only to an Ethernet, as an Appleshare server. The workstations are more normal Macs on Appletalks connected through Kinetics boxes. The big win for this bandwidth to the server and not crushing the poor uses of the Appletalk the server would otherwise be sitting on. Is anyone doing this, or thinking of this? Please get back to me. I will post any juicy replies. Mike -- Reed College -- Portland, Oregon -- 503/775-7003 (before 9am)
graifer@net1.ucsd.edu (Dan Graifer) (09/18/87)
Hardware:
Kinetics (makers of the FastPath Ethernet/Appletalk gateway) have announced
the following:
EtherSC: SCSI Ethernet controller: $1050 old style, $1250 new "thin"
ethernet (ie the latter has a built in transmitter)
EtherPort SE: MacSE/Ethernet controller card (will connect to either style):
$850
Software:
There are a couple of ways to go with software:
1) Kinetics provides K-Talk, driver software to support appletalk on Unix
systems. (Kinetics makes Appletalk controller cards for many Unix boxes.)
2) Kinetics has a TCP/IP, Telenet, TFTP etc. package available for the Mac
3) (Best bet in my opinion). Call Centram (Maker of the TOPS network, now
owned by Sun Microsystems) and harass them about TOPS network driver
software for this configuration. They currently support file service
off a mix of Unix machines on Ethernet connected to PCs and Macs on
Appletalk/PhoneNet via a FastPath. The marketing people I talked too
were willing to admit the market for the product you want, but not what
Centram's plans were.
In any case, call (415)947-0998 or write (2500 Camino Diablo, Suite 110,
Walnut Creek, CA 94596) Kinetics for their literature; It includes stuff
for all the software that runs on their hardware.
Good luck. Let me know if you find existing software to do what you want.
Dan Graifer
graifer@net1.UCSD.EDU
Disclaimer: Nobody ever listens to me anyways; Why should they start now?tim@hoptoad.UUCP (09/21/87)
The original message never seems to have made it here; the net is stammering really badly these days. So my responses are based on a bit of speculation. In article <3900@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> graifer@net1.UUCP (Dan Graifer) writes: >2) Kinetics has a TCP/IP, Telenet, TFTP etc. package available for the Mac They provide my (and Mark Sherman's) public domain TCP/IP product. It's not particularly good: it is based on rotten software from MIT, it was my first Mac project *and* my first TCP/IP project, and it has been slow to improve since I left CMU. I have written from scratch a new TCP/IP and terminal emulator, which such extra goodies as multiple login sessions and a fully integrated text editor and a script language and modem support and... called TOPS Terminal, which has been in alpha test since July and is expected to be released before the end of the year, which is a lot better. It has a TELNET and an FTP. >3) (Best bet in my opinion). Call Centram (Maker of the TOPS network, now > owned by Sun Microsystems) and harass them about TOPS network driver > software for this configuration. They currently support file service > off a mix of Unix machines on Ethernet connected to PCs and Macs on > Appletalk/PhoneNet via a FastPath. The marketing people I talked too > were willing to admit the market for the product you want, but not what > Centram's plans were. I don't know what configuration, but TOPS worked without modifications on the very first Kinetics Ethernet boards, which provide look-alike Appletalk drivers for transparency. (Well done, Kinetics! It would drive me bonkers to have to write a look-alike for something that ugly!) TOPS has been running on Ethernet for many moons. By the way, Centram is dead; long live the TOPS Division of Sun Microsystems. About time, too; never did like "Centram" as a name. -- Tim Maroney, {ihnp4,sun,well,ptsfa,lll-crg}!hoptoad!tim (uucp) hoptoad!tim@lll-crg (arpa)
graifer@net1.ucsd.edu (Dan Graifer) (09/23/87)
Since my last posting on this subject, I have obtained more info.
First, just out of interest: 3Com now supports appletalk on their PC network
servers in some fashion.
Novell says they will have something similer via appletalk by January
I talked again, this time to tech folks at TOPS. Very helpful. You can
network Macs and Unix machines over ethernet using TOPS and the Kinetics
Ethernet controllers (both SCSI and the SE board). You might call the
technique "EtherTalk" as they are actually packaging up Appletalk messages
for transmission in Ethernet Packits. This is what the TOPS software expects
to see on a unix server (by the way, a unix machine cannot be a client at
this time on a TOPS network). It is also what the Kinetics fastpath expects to
see translation to/from AppleTalk. It is my understanding that the speed of
Appletalk is limited by the Appletalk driver chips, which TOPS/Ethertalk will
bypass.
Hope this helps.
Dan Graifer
graifer@net1.UCSD.EDU
Disclaimer: Nobody ever listens to me anyways; Why should they start now?kurt@doodah.UUCP (10/01/87)
Dan Graifer writes: > I talked again, this time to tech folks at TOPS. Very helpful. You can > network Macs and Unix machines over ethernet using TOPS and the Kinetics > Ethernet controllers (both SCSI and the SE board). You might call the > technique "EtherTalk" as they are actually packaging up Appletalk messages > for transmission in Ethernet Packits. > bypass. > Umm, which Unix machines? Last I heard Sun and Pyramid could be used, what others? How about Microvax/Ultrix? -- Kurt VanderSluis ********************************* Boeing Computer erviceD Service * These opinions are mine, * M/S 6R-37 P.O. 24346 * not the Boeing Company's. * Seattle, WA 98124 *********************************