jtn@potomac.ads.com (John T. Nelson) (05/19/88)
We would like to network our IBM AT to one of our Sun Microsystems computers. The ideal method is to just plug the AT into the Sun's ethernet network using an add--on ethernet interface card. Someone recommended the Western Digital Ethercard for this purpose. But what kind of software is available for the IBM AT that will let me communicate with Suns? We would like to do basic things like file transfer, finger, telnet and maybe hardcopy on the Sun from the AT if that can be done. Recommendations? Would TOPS for the AT provide anything that I need? TOPS would have to be run on the Sun I suppose and that's probably expensive. Are there hardware interfaces for the AT that will let me communicate with Appletalk (well there must be since people do connect ATs to Appletalk)? -- John T. Nelson UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn Advanced Decision Systems Internet: jtn@potomac.ads.com 1500 Wilson Blvd #512; Arlington, VA 22209-2401 (703) 243-1611 Cherish Conserve Consider Create
phil@amdcad.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) (05/20/88)
In article <5503@potomac.ads.com> jtn@potomac.ads.com (John T. Nelson) writes: >We would like to network our IBM AT to one of our Sun Microsystems >computers. The ideal method is to just plug the AT into the Sun's >ethernet network using an add--on ethernet interface card. Someone >recommended the Western Digital Ethercard for this purpose. This is a nice cheap high performance hardware configuration. But... >But what kind of software is available for the IBM AT that will let me >communicate with Suns? We would like to do basic things like file >transfer, finger, telnet and maybe hardcopy on the Sun from the AT if >that can be done. I have been (am using right now!) Sun's PC-NFS. I have personally done file transfer via FTP and telnet. It is supposed to do remote printing and NFS, I have not tried them. I was at first very pleased with the product, the telnet worked much better for me than Phil Karn's ka9q because I assume I did not have a good termcap for the PC's ansi.sys. PC-NFS emulates a vt-100 to a large degree. At present I do not believe PC-NFS works with the WD interface. I am using it with a (brain-damaged) 3Com interface. However, with use, cracks and problems show up in PC-NFS. Some are real problems, some might be called a nit but anyway, the product could be improved. 1) No support for multiple telnet sessions like ka9q. 2) No ftp server like ka9q. 3) ftp client blows up on mget with a small number of files, says "Arguments too long". 4) ftp client dies if you go back to telnet too long. 5) Host can't set tabs like a real VT-220 does (and I assume a VT-100 does). 6) No rlogin. 7) No .netrc for ftp means you always have to explicitly login. I've been waiting four days for an answer from Sun user support on 3). I expect they'll tell me "don't transfer so many files". >Would TOPS for the AT provide anything that I need? TOPS would have >to be run on the Sun I suppose and that's probably expensive. Are >there hardware interfaces for the AT that will let me communicate with >Appletalk (well there must be since people do connect ATs to >Appletalk)? Believe it or not, TOPS Corp (a division of Sun) makes a hardware interface for the AT that lets you talk Appletalk. But then if you want to talk to the Sun you'd need a Kinetics box and either Appletalk on the Sun or something like NCSA on the AT. I don't know that TOPS/Appletalk would do anything for an AT. The cost might be lower, but with the WD interface that's not clear. The performance is certainly not going to be nearly as good. -- Make Japan the 51st state! I speak for myself, not the company. Phil Ngai, {ucbvax,decwrl,allegra}!amdcad!phil or phil@amd.com
jerry@oliveb.olivetti.com (Jerry Aguirre) (05/21/88)
In article <21681@amdcad.AMD.COM> phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes: >At present I do not believe PC-NFS works with the WD interface. I am >using it with a (brain-damaged) 3Com interface. I have version 3.0 of PC-NFS and it lists the following configuration options for the ethernet adapter: 3Com 3C501, 3C503, 3C505, 3C523 Ungermann-Bass NIC, NIU Western Digital WD8003E Micom-Interlan NI5010
phil@amdcad.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) (05/21/88)
In article <22166@oliveb.olivetti.com> jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry Aguirre) writes: .In article <21681@amdcad.AMD.COM> phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes: ..At present I do not believe PC-NFS works with the WD interface. I am ..using it with a (brain-damaged) 3Com interface. . .I have version 3.0 of PC-NFS and it lists the following configuration .options for the ethernet adapter: . . Western Digital WD8003E What an idiot I am! You are absolutely right, it does list it as supported. Time to throw out my 3Com and buy a WD! -- Make Japan the 51st state! I speak for myself, not the company. Phil Ngai, {ucbvax,decwrl,allegra}!amdcad!phil or phil@amd.com
tcs@USNA.MIL (Terry Slattery) (05/27/88)
We also have the PC-NFS stuff and find that for FTP and TELNET we prefer to run the NCSA versions. They will work with the 3Com card along side the PC-NFS stuff. The combination solves many of the problems you mentioned with regard to ftp's mget and server mode, multiple telnet sessions, etc. I've also asked the Sun east coast division folks who are developing the PC-NFS product to look at the NCSA stuff (they have it) as a design goal for the next release. -tcs ps. PC-NFS supports the WD card now and the next NCSA version will have support for it (reportedly due out this summer).