otto@kipuna.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela) (03/16/91)
Today I talked with the Finnish LanTastic retailers, and they told me that ArtiSoft will sell the next release (3.03) of LANtastic only for use with their cards -- from this version on, you will need a per-machine licence to run it with other cards. Good marketing tactics, or what ? -- /* * * Otto J. Makela <otto@jyu.fi> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */ /* Phone: +358 41 613 847, BBS: +358 41 211 562 (USR HST/V.32, 24h/d) */ /* Mail: Kauppakatu 1 B 18, SF-40100 Jyvaskyla, Finland, EUROPE */ /* * * Computers Rule 01001111 01001011 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
mds@netmbx.UUCP (Michael Such) (03/18/91)
In article <OTTO.91Mar15213505@kipuna.jyu.fi> otto@kipuna.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela) writes: >Today I talked with the Finnish LanTastic retailers, and they told me that >ArtiSoft will sell the next release (3.03) of LANtastic only for use with >their cards -- from this version on, you will need a per-machine licence to >run it with other cards. Good marketing tactics, or what ? That's interesting. I was given a demo of lantastic yesterday and was quite impressed. I didn't like the idea of using the lantastic cards so I asked the salesman about using ethernet/arcnet cards, no problem he said but you may have to write your own device driver - it's quite simple - he said! I'm not new to this game but I don't want to get into the device driver writing business. What I want to do is buy the Lantastic operating system and then use it on some ethernet or arcnet cards that I can get as cheap as possible. Does anybody know anything that can help me? also how about the overall performance of lantastic - is it okey? Any info would be grately appreciated. Mike ee -- Mike Such NETMBX - Berlin, Germany
dts@peanut.UUCP (Daniel Senie) (03/19/91)
Artisoft and most other vendors of network software support a standard called NDIS. Manufacturers of lan adapters have almost all written NDIS drivers for their boards. There is no need to fear being locked into a single brand of boards. Artisoft did announce a change in the licensing of their product, but it was a change from licensing "up to <n> users for x $$$" to a policy of "x $$$ per station". As I read the press releases, it would not have a significant financial impact most customers. -- Daniel Senie UUCP: uunet!lectroid!peanut!dts Daniel Senie Consulting ARPA: peanut!dts@lectroid.sw.stratus.com 48 Elm Street CSRV: 74176,1347 Clinton, MA 01510 TEL.: 508 - 365 - 5352
lynn@abekas.uucp (Lynn ) (03/20/91)
In <9@peanut.UUCP> dts@peanut.UUCP (Daniel Senie) writes: >Artisoft and most other vendors of network software support a standard >called NDIS. Manufacturers of lan adapters have almost all written NDIS >drivers for their boards. There is no need to fear being locked into >a single brand of boards. >Artisoft did announce a change in the licensing of their product, but it >was a change from licensing "up to <n> users for x $$$" to a policy of >"x $$$ per station". As I read the press releases, it would not have a >significant financial impact most customers. I installed a 5 station LANtastic network last month. It included two systems using the Ethernet cards that came with the connection kit and three laptops using Xircom pocket LAN adapters. The Ethernet connection kit used to be packaged as supporting up to a large number of nodes. It is now up to a large number of Artisoft nodes, everybody else has to pay to play. Since the price of the connection kit has not been reduced and the discounted price per additional node is about $75, this CAN have a significant financial impact. You are correct that other vendors provide low level drivers however the servers know their own and will not work until you provide suitably licenced copies or take the entire network down to a 3.01 level. Artisoft does not support connection of a 3.01 level client to a 3.02 level server. Lynn Macey abekas!lynn@pyramid.com
P85025@BARILVM.BITNET (Doron Shikmoni) (03/20/91)
In article <OTTO.91Mar15213505@kipuna.jyu.fi> otto@kipuna.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela) writes: >Today I talked with the Finnish LanTastic retailers, and they told me that >ArtiSoft will sell the next release (3.03) of LANtastic only for use with >their cards -- from this version on, you will need a per-machine licence to >run it with other cards. Good marketing tactics, or what ? That is what I've been hearing here, too. They changed the pricing policy for Lantastic/AI - the Adapter Independent version of the code. In article <2106@netmbx.UUCP>, mds@netmbx.UUCP (Michael Such) says: >That's interesting. > >I was given a demo of lantastic yesterday and was quite impressed. >I didn't like the idea of using the lantastic cards so I asked the salesman >about using ethernet/arcnet cards, no problem he said but you may have >to write your own device driver - it's quite simple - he said! You won't have to go that far, no. >I'm not new to this game but I don't want to get into the device driver >writing business. No need. >What I want to do is buy the Lantastic operating system and then use >it on some ethernet or arcnet cards that I can get as cheap as possible. > >Does anybody know anything that can help me? Sure. Get Lantastic/AI (as mentioned - now priced per-node, and serially numbered too - so you actually have to install a different copy on each PC - major headache for large systems). Also, get a decent Netbios for the card you are about to use - I use IBM's Lan Support Program V1.2, but I guess other brands would do similarly well). Get the NDIS driver for the card you are using (supplied with most NICs today). Get them all to run together - remove Lantastic's card-level and Netbios modules from the STARTNET.BAT - and you are there. One weak point to my setup here - it eats a lot of memory. ------- Doron Shikmoni <P85025@BARILVM.Bitnet> Bar-Ilan University Israel
otto@tukki.jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela) (03/20/91)
In article <9@peanut.UUCP> dts@peanut.UUCP (Daniel Senie) writes:
Artisoft and most other vendors of network software support a standard
called NDIS. Manufacturers of lan adapters have almost all written NDIS
drivers for their boards. There is no need to fear being locked into
a single brand of boards.
Well, there's just this little fact that LANtastic 3.02 standard version will
not run with any other cards than Artisoft's own cards, it'll just say "This
version will run only with Artisoft software/hardware". You need version
3.02/AI (for Adapter Independent) to be able to use other cards. I guess this
is to make sure they can tell who is using non-Artisoft cards with their
software before turning the screws on with the 3.03 version.
And their current cards are not very good, just WD8003 clones. I do have it
from a good source that they will be coming out with new cards before the next
software release...
--
/* * * Otto J. Makela <otto@jyu.fi> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
/* Phone: +358 41 613 847, BBS: +358 41 211 562 (USR HST/V.32, 24h/d) */
/* Mail: Kauppakatu 1 B 18, SF-40100 Jyvaskyla, Finland, EUROPE */
/* * * Computers Rule 01001111 01001011 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */