royce@scoraz.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Royce Robbins) (01/12/91)
I wanted to share my experience with the Net. Some time ago I asked for
help in doing what I describe, and received it. Just wanted to pass it along.
Summary:
PCroute provides a viable solution at a fraction of the cost of a FastPath-
type DDP-IP gateway for situations that have a heterogeneous mix of PCs, Macs,
UNIX, and VMS hosts on LocalTalk and ethernet, that need TCP/IP-based
internetworking but don't need AppleTalk routing. With the collection of
software described, TCP/IP services (telnet, ftp, ARP, etc.) are
provided, as well as UNIX/VMS lpr style print spooling is available in both
directions (LocalTalk <-> Ethernet); PC and UNIX/VMS hosts enjoy NFS client
and server file services, while Macs have NFS client-only file sharing (server
services are available in other products).
Advantages include:
Low cost - can recycle existing hardware, any new hardware is quite
inexpensive and can be purchased in small increments.
Higher speed - using a FlashCard in the PCrouter and FlashBoxes on
LocalTalk devices will give better than three times the performance of
AppleTalk. FastPaths etc., won't work at FlashTalk speed.
Less server overhead - The whole CAP/UAB/KIP suite is unnecessary.
AppleShare without a dedicated AppleShare server.
Disadvantages are:
No non-local AppleTalk routing.
Only one LocalTalk interface per PCrouter.
Changing number or type of interface requires recompiling PCroute with
Turbo Assembler.
Problem:
Provide TCP/IP based services (telnet, ftp, NFS, printer access)
for machines on three separate networks. AppleTalk to "The World"
not required or desired.
1) A number of PC-NFS clients on an ethernet segment served by a Sun4
2) The campus backbone and the rest of the world
3) A LocalTalk segment with Macs and a LaserWriter to serve as print
client to the PCs and Sun4
PC PC PC PC PC
| | | | |
T-----+----+---------+---+----+---+----+----T (Thinwire Ethernet) 1)
| |
+-+--+ +--+----+
+Sun4+ +-------------+ | |
+----+ |Apple Laser | | Router+------->"The World" (Ethernet) 2)
|Writer II NTX| | |
+------+------+ +----+--+
| |
+----------+-----+-----+--------+--+ (LocalTalk) 3)
| | | |
Mac SE Mac SE/30 Mac IIx Apple IIgs
Solution:
The standard solution would be to buy a FastPath, GatorBox, MultiGate
or the like and run KIP/CAP/UAB on the Sun, for a cost of around $2000.
However, here a very low cost solution was required as there was little
money and little administrative support ("Whada we wanna do that for?").
The solution now in place provides a heterogeneous network that is
purely IP-based, i.e. no AppleTalk traffic leaves the LocalTalk segment, but
full client and limited server services are provided to the Mac hosts.
Router:
Vance Morrison's excellent PCroute software.
Runs on any PC clone and provides a fully functional IP router. It
accepts up to six network interfaces, in a combination of Ethernet,
Starlan, AppleTalk, SLIP and Packet Driver at rates of better that 3Mb/s.
It supports subnetted IP routing; static routes; ICMP echo (ping), TTL,
Redirect and Unreachable as appropriate; fragmentation; RIP; BSD error
logging; proxy ARP; and BootP forwarding. It supports only WD8003E, S or
SH cards, unless used with a packet driver. Both Apple's AppleTalk PC
card and the TOPS FlashCard are supported (but only one per router).
Requires Turbo Assembler 1.0 to configure anything other than the supplied
Ether-Ether, SLIP-SLIP or Ether-SLIP routers.
Freely available via anonymous ftp from accuvax.nwu.edu as
/pub/pcroute/pcroute.2.1.tar.Z (Executeables and docs only)
/pub/pcroute/pcroute.2.1.src.tar.Z (Source, executables and docs)
The author can be reached as morrison@accuvax.nwu.edu.
I put together a PC with two floppies, a new 10MHz motherboard, two new
WD8003E cards and a FlashCard, and installed PCroute. Total cost: $715
Thinwire segment:
PCs:
PC-NFS from Sun provide client services.
SOS (Stan's Own Server) from Lawrence Berkley Labs.
Turns a PC into an NFS file server for those rare times it is needed.
Runs on top of PC-NFS.
Public domain. Contact stan@lbl-csam.lbl.doe.gov for availability.
Sun4: Configured a remote printer in printcaps, added Mac host names to
hosts.lpd. No KIP/CAP/UAB installed.
LocalTalk segment:
MacTCP from Apple.
This is a software driver that implements the TCP/IP protocols of IP,
ICMP, UDP, ARP, RARP, RIP, BootP, TCP and provides a domain name resolver.
SU-Mac/IP from Stanford University.
Consists of several parts: Mac/IP which provides telnet (vt100 emulation),
ftp, finger and whois clients; MacMH a mail client that requires a POP3
server; SU-lpr which provides UNIX facility for printing text file. Also
included is a tn3270 emulation package. Includes required MacTCP.
Contact macip@jessica.stanford.edu for distribution details and liscensing.
Documentation is available on jessica.stanford.edu in /netinfo/macip.
NCSA Telnet-MacTCP from NCSA, Univeristy of Illinois.
Provides telnet client (vt102 and Textronix 4014 emulation), ftp server
services.
Freely available via anonymous ftp from ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu (and others) as
/NCSA_Telnet/Mac/telnet.2.3tcp.sithqx
PathWay Client NFS for Mac from The Wollongong Group.
Provides NFS client services to the Macs, as well as an SNMP agent and a
Mac resident LPR Print Server for printing to LaserWriters from a UNIX or
VMS host. Requires AppleShare be installed, and the LPR server requires
Multifinder and Print Monitor. Includes required MacTCP.
Contact The Wollongong Group, Inc., 1129 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA
94303, phone 1-800-872-8649, fax (415) 969-0196.
Available for around $200.
The missing piece was the LPR server from Wollongong. I'd had the telnet
and ftp services for a while when I heard about it--but I couldn't print to the
LaserWriter, now I can. Aside from snotty customer service personnell, I'm
happy with it: it works. The host Mac handles all print spooling to the
LaserWriter and I can print both text and PostScript files transparently. The
NFS services work as advertised, you get an AppleShare volume on the UNIX/VMS
host. I've had a few problems writing from applications, however. It can get
pricey as each CPU requires its own liscense (multiple
discounts apply). Since I only wanted it for the LPR server, one copy was
sufficient.
I prefer SU-Mac/IP over NCSA because it is more thouroughly integrated into
the Mac interface, provides an ftp client instead of NCSA's server (where you
had to log in to the remote host and ftp back to your own Mac) and just
generally seems more robust, (it doesn't require the router be rebooted when it
hangs) and has the additional applications.
Total cost: (one copy of PathWay Client NFS for Mac) $117
Total cost for providing services described: $832.
Not bad I'd say. I'd be happy to share my experience with anyone who is
interested.
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Royce Robbins INTERNET: royce@resp-sci.arizona.edu
Div Resp Sciences FAX: (602) 626-4884
UofArizona PHONE: (602) 626-5022
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Standard disclaimers apply. Trademarks to respective companies, etc.