geo@runx.ips.oz (George Bray ) (10/08/88)
The GatorBox from Cayman Systems is an Apple LocalTalk to Ethernet protocol
converter that translates unix NFS server architecture to Apples Filing
Protocol (AFP).
In response to requests, here is a file of 20 questions and answers.
One is being installed on a Pyramid here in Australia soon. I'll post
the results.
I have no affiliation with Cayman, Pyramid, or Apple.
Just a protocol junkie.
George Bray Voice: +61-2-484-1163 VoiceMail: +61-2-552-0210
The Sand Group uucp: uunet!munnari!ditsyda.oz.au!gbray
Compu$erve: 76526,1404 MacNet: geo
____________________ Keylink/Dialcom: 07:geo001 ClubMac: George Bray
Macintosh Consulting Internet: gbray@ditsyda.oz.au
and Development P.O. Box 165 Beecroft, NSW, 2119. A U S T R A L I A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From solution@ditsyda.oz Sun Aug 28 20:37:56 1988
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 88 20:37:56 EST
From: solution@ditsyda.oz (Logical Solutions - George Bray)
To: beranrd@ditmela.oz
Subject: GatorBox stuff - Whaddya think
Cc: hales@ditmela.oz
Sunday, August 28, 1988
Dear acb:
Re: GatorBox - Have a gander at this. Hope to try one at DIT RSN.
Doc Rev 1.0
3/8/88
Twenty Questions About the GatorBox
1. How is the GatorBox different from a Kinetics FastPath?
Though the GatorBox does everything the FastPath does as a subset of its
functionality, it goes beyond the FastPath in offering Macintosh users an
application-level gateway to file, terminal, mail, printing and presentation
services found in standard local area network environments.
The FastPath provides transport-level connectivity between Macintoshes on
LocalTalk and other Macintoshes or computers which support the TCP/IP protocols
on Ethernet. Using the FastPath for file services or terminal services
typically requires installing software on both the Macintosh client and the
Ethernet-based host, as well as downloading software into the FastPath.
sharing, and terminal emulation is available from Macintosh software developers
or from the public domain.
The GatorBox was designed to run sophisticated networking software. This
GatorBox software provides application-level connectivity between Macintoshes
on LocalTalk and Macintoshes or other computers on Ethernet. The GatorBox
translates the entire AppleTalk protocol suite--from the LocalTalk cabling all
the way up to AFP, the AppleTalk file-sharing protocol--into a dominant suite
of protocols found on Ethernet--the file-sharing protocol NFS from Sun
Microsystems and the TCP/IP protocols from the Department of Defense.
The GatorBox lets Macintosh users view all Ethernet-based computers which
support NFS as AppleShare file servers. No Cayman software runs on any
Macintosh client or on any NFS server.
Because the GatorBox was designed to run sophisticated networking software, it
is substantially more powerful than a FastPath. The FastPath is based on a
Motorola 68008 microprocessor and 48 KB of static RAM. The GatorBox employs a
10-MHz Motorola 68000 CPU and 1 MB of dynamic RAM. This extra power will allow
the GatorBox to run the additional network gateway software Cayman plans to
offer in the future.
Cayman's software architecture was designed to make the GatorBox the first
"intelligent gateway". The GatorBox was designed to translate any suite of
network protocols into any other protocol suite, allowing microcomputers to use
their respective native network protocols while exploiting the file, terminal,
mail, printing, and presentation services available anywhere on the network.
2. Does the software I use with my Kinetics FastPath work with the GatorBox?
Yes. Because the GatorBox can fully emulate the Kinetics FastPath, any
software designed to work with the FastPath--like NCSA Telnet, Mac IP from
Carnegie Mellon, or commercial software from TOPS, Alisa Systems or Pacer
Software--runs transparently through the GatorBox.
The GatorBox still performs AFP-to-NFS translation--i.e. lets Macintoshes see
NFS servers as AppleShare servers--while emulating the FastPath.
3. How and where do I install the GatorBox software?
The GatorBox software is installed on the GatorBox by a "download server",
which can be either a Macintosh, an IP host, or another GatorBox. The network
administrator uses "GatorKeeper", the GatorBox configuration and administration
application, to provide the GatorBox with the address of its download server.
The GatorBox stores this address in non-volatile RAM, which allows the GatorBox
to restart itself automatically after power failures.
GatorKeeper uses the familiar Macintosh user interface to provide a simple,
powerful tool for configuring and monitoring any number of GatorBoxes connected
to an IP network.
4. What special GatorBox software do I need to put on my Macintosh?
No special GatorBox software runs on the Macintosh; the GatorBox software runs
entirely on the GatorBox. The only software GatorBox users need install on
their Macintoshes is the Appleshare Workstation software. Apple has licensed
Cayman to distribute this Apple software along with the GatorBox, and users can
freely install it on every Macintosh on the network.
Cayman's GatorBox configuration program, "GatorKeeper", does run on the
Macintosh, but GatorKeeper is only used by the network administrator .
5. What if I want to put all my Macintoshes on Ethernet?
Macintoshes can access the GatorBox's networking software from a LocalTalk
network or an "EtherTalk" network (EtherTalk is Apple's term for Macintoshes
connected by Ethernet), so GatorBox users can put any or all of their
Macintoshes on EtherTalk (with Ethernet cards from Apple, 3Com or Kinetics) and
still "see" all of the NFS servers on the network as AppleShare servers. The
GatorBox also serves as a full AppleTalk-to-EtherTalk bridge, allowing
EtherTalk-based Macintoshes to access local and remote LocalTalk-based
devices.
6. How many Macintoshes can share one GatorBox?
One GatorBox can service all of the Macintoshes on a LocalTalk network as well
as all of the Macintoshes on an EtherTalk network. The limit on simultaneous
use of the GatorBox by multiple Macintoshes is performance-driven, not
theoretically imposed.
The relatively slow transmission speed of LocalTalk (230 Kbaud) will generally
be the performance bottleneck visible to GatorBox users. As the number of
Macintoshes on LocalTalk simultaneously using the GatorBox rises, at some point
the performance bottleneck will shift from LocalTalk to the GatorBox. When
this crossover occurs, the Macintosh users will notice a gradual performance
degradation as the intensity of simultaneous GatorBox use rises. At some
point, adding another GatorBox to share the LocalTalk-to-Ethernet gateway
traffic is an appropriate way to restore the lost performance.
If all of the Macintosh clients are using the GatorBox from the Ethernet side,
the network bandwidth will never be the transmission bottleneck, and
performance degradation will be a linear function of simultaneous GatorBox use.
7. Can I use the GatorBox as an AppleTalk bridge?
Yes. The GatorBox is a full AppleTalk bridge. It allows Macintoshes on
LocalTalk to access "EtherTalk"-based Macintoshes and other Ethernet-based
computers which support the AppleTalk protocols. The GatorBox also lets
Macintoshes on Ethernet access LocalTalk-based devices--like LaserWriters and
AppleShare servers.
The GatorBox also supports the bridging of LocalTalk networks across IP
networks, making it possible for Macintosh users on one LocalTalk network to
communicate across one or more Ethernet or other IP networks with Macintosh
users or LaserWriters on other, remote LocalTalk networks.
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 4
8. Does the GatorBox support TCP/IP?
Yes. The GatorBox uses TCP/IP to establish reliable connections between
Macintoshes and Ethernet-based computers. These connections form the basis for
the file and terminal services the GatorBox provides Macintosh users.
9. How does the GatorBox help me if my VAX doesn't support NFS?
While the GatorBox won't let Macintoshes "see" a VAX as an AppleShare server
unless it supports NFS, it will let Macintoshes share files with VAXs which
support the AppleTalk protocols. So VAXs running software from Alisa Systems
or Pacer Software are accessible to Macintosh users on LocalTalk or Ethernet
through the GatorBox.
10. Does the GatorBox let me run my UNIX applications on the Macintosh?
No. The GatorBox lets Macintosh users store and access Macintosh files and
applications on UNIX-based computers which support the NFS file-sharing
protocol. That doesn't mean that Macintosh users can run UNIX applications
stored on these computers. With or without a GatorBox, Macintoshes can only
execute application software which has been created or modifed to run on the
Macintosh operating system.
11.Does the GatorBox let me print from my UNIX workstation on Ethernet to a
LaserWriter on LocalTalk?
Yes. Software running in the GatorBox provides a printing gateway from UNIX
terminals or workstations on Ethernet to LaserWriters on LocalTalk. To the
UNIX computer user, these LaserWriters look just like other printers connected
to UNIX hosts.
12.Can I print from my Macintosh on LocalTalk to a PostScript-based laser
printer attached to my NFS server?
Not yet. This capability will be available to GatorBox users in the fourth
quarter of 1988.
13.Can my Macintosh applications access data created by UNIX applications
running on my NFS server?
It depends. If the UNIX application can save files in a data format readable
by Macintosh applications (ASCII text, for example), then the GatorBox gives
Macintosh users a way to move data created by UNIX applications into Macintosh
applications.
14.Can my UNIX applications access data in Macintosh files stored on my NFS
server?
Yes, in theory. The GatorBox supports several methods of storing Macintosh
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 5
files on an NFS server. One of these is a file format called "AppleDouble"
which Apple designed for the storage of Macintosh files on foreign file
systems. AppleDouble separates the data in a Macintosh file from
Macintosh-specific information. The AppleDouble format was intended to be
easily readable by applications based on non-Macintosh operating systems, like
UNIX and DOS. If the UNIX application can read data from an AppleDouble file,
it can access data created on a Macintosh.
15.Can I buy the GatorBox software only and run it on my Macintosh?
No. The GatorBox software was designed to run on the GatorBox. Running the
GatorBox software on a Macintosh would require dedicating a Macintosh II
configured with an Ethernet card to act as a gateway. Since Ethernet cards
currently available for the Macintosh II don't support DMA, this
Macintosh-based solution couldn't offer acceptable performance. The GatorBox's
design reflects Cayman's belief that an integrated hardware-and-software
solution is the best approach from a price/performance standpoint.
16.Can I buy a card for my Mac II and run the GatorBox software on that?
No. Add-in cards currently available for the Macintosh II do not possess the
requisite intelligence and network interfaces necessary to run the GatorBox's
software.
17.Is the GatorBox an IP gateway?
The GatorBox does not fully meet the specifications required of IP gateways.
The GatorBox looks like an IP host to other IP hosts, and uses one IP address.
It does support several options associated with IP networks, like subnetting,
settable broadcast addresses (by network), fragmentation, "loose source
routing", "strict source routing", "record route", and others.
18.How does the GatorBox handle passwords and security?
All of AppleShare's security features apply to Macintosh users accessing NFS
servers through the GatorBox. AppleShare allows its users to designate three
different levels of access to folders stored on an AppleShare server: "see
folders", "see files" or "make changes". Any one of these three access levels
can be applied to the "owner" of the folder, a "group" of users associated with
the folder, or "everyone" with access to the server.
The GatorBox maps these access privileges into the NFS directory-access
privileges "search directory (but don't read or write)", "read", and "write";
these NFS privileges can also vary by directory owner, group, and everyone
else.
The GatorBox also lets the network administrator restrict volume-level access
to NFS servers by password-protecting the associated AppleShare "folders".
19.Does the GatorBox let Macintoshes on LocalTalk share files with each other?
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 6
While the GatorBox makes NFS servers look like AppleShare servers to
Macintoshes on LocalTalk or Ethernet, it has no disk storage and doesn't act as
an AppleShare server itself. The GatorBox forwards read and write requests
from AppleShare clients to NFS servers or AppleShare servers. So if the
GatorBox is used to connect LocalTalk and Ethernet networks which have no NFS
servers or AppleShare servers, software like TOPS or MacServe is required to
enable Macintoshes on LocalTalk to share files with each other.
20.Is there a 220-volt GatorBox available for the international market?
Not yet. Cayman intends to work with its international distributors to make
220-volt versions of the GatorBox available overseas.
Doc. Rev. 1.1
3/6/88
For more information on the GatorBox, contact Cheryl Alexander at (617)
494-1999.
Cayman, the Cayman logo, GatorBox and GatorKeeper are trademarks of Cayman
Systems, Inc.,
One Kendall Square, Building 600, Cambridge, MA 02139.
Cayman Systems GatorBox
Technical Overview
The GatorBox is an intelligent network gateway which connects a LocalTalk
(formerly called AppleTalk) network with an Ethernet network, and allows
computers which support the AppleTalk protocol suite on either network to
communicate with Ethernet-based computers which support the Department of
Defense's TCP/IP protocol suite.
Cayman has designed two removable network-interface "GatorCards" for the
GatorBox--one for LocalTalk and one for Ethernet or Thin Ethernet.
In the future, Cayman will design additional GatorCards which allow the
GatorBox to support other network media standards, like Token Ring, FDDI and
twisted-pair Ethernet.
The GatorBox software provides a transparent connection between two standard
filing protocols, Apple Computer's AppleShare and the widely-implemented
Network FileSystem (NFS) from Sun Microsystems.
File-Sharing Software
AFP-to-NFS Translation
The GatorBox allows AFP (Apple Filing Protocol, the basis of AppleShare)
clients to share files with NFS servers without requiring users to install any
Cayman software on the AFP clients or the NFS servers. All of Cayman's
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 7
file-sharing software runs on the GatorBox.
This file-sharing software translates AFP requests into NFS requests and NFS
responses into AFP responses. The GatorBox lets Macintoshes running Apple's
AppleShare Workstation software "see" NFS servers as AppleShare servers. Since
the GatorBox's AFP-to-NFS translation software supports 100% of AFP's
functionality, AppleShare clients can't distinguish NFS servers from ordinary
AppleShare servers. Apple has licensed Cayman to distribute the AppleShare
Workstation software along with the GatorBox, and GatorBox users can copy this
software onto all of the Macintoshes on a Local Talk network.
NFS servers "see" each Macintosh using the GatorBox as an ordinary NFS clien
The network administrator uses Cayman's "GatorKeeper" administration program
tell GatorBoxes which exported file systems or "mount points" are available on
the various NFS servers. Macintosh users running AppleShare Workstation
software see these mount points as the volumes available on the "AppleShare"
servers.
Security
The GatorBox uses the Yellow Pages (YP) protocol to handle user and group
authentication. YP distributes user and group access information in
authentication databases across a network. If YP is not used on the network,
the GatorBox can obtain user and group authentication information from a
UNIX-style authentication file on one of the NFS servers.
GatorKeeper allows the network administrator to password-protect AppleShare
volumes. AppleShare folder access privileges are mapped directly from the NFS
directory authentication information.
Macintosh File Formats
To facilitate storage of Macintosh files on non-Macintosh file systems, Appl
has defined two new file formats--AppleSingle and AppleDouble. Unlike the
standard Macintosh file format, AppleSingle and AppleDouble both have headers
which are readable by other operating systems.
AppleSingle appends standard Macintosh file information to this header,
including some information germane only to the Macintosh user interface.
Consequently AppleSingle files can't be understood by non-Macintosh operating
systems without special decoding software.
AppleDouble splits a Macintosh file into two separate files for storage on a
foreign file system. One of these files contains all the Macintosh-specific
information, and the other contains data in the format specified by the
Macintosh application. So by accessing the "AppleDouble Data File" and
ignoring the "AppleDouble Header File", non-Macintoshes can use data generated
by Macintosh applications.
The network administrator uses GatorKeeper to indicate which file format sho
be used to store Macintosh files; this selection is done on a mount-point by
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 8
mount-point (volume by volume) basis.
Network Software
AppleTalk Bridging
The GatorBox is a full AppleTalk bridge. It lets Macintoshes on LocalTalk
access EtherTalk-based Macintoshes (i.e. Macintoshes connected to Ethernet via
an Apple,3Com or Kinetics Ethernet card), and it also lets EtherTalk-based
Macintoshes access LocalTalk-based devices, like other Macintoshes and Apple
LaserWriters.
Other Ethernet-based computers which support the AppleTalk protocol stack--l
VAXs running software from Alisa Systems or Pacer Software--are also accessible
to LocalTalk- and Ethernet-based Macintoshes via the GatorBox. The GatorBox
protects any investment users have made in software which utilizes the Kinetics
FastPath, because the GatorBox offers all of the FastPath's capabilities as a
subset of its functionality.
Users can configure the GatorBox's AppleTalk bridging capability to accept
"hard" routes, i.e. pathways between remote LocalTalk networks which the
network administrator designates for the GatorBox. GatorBoxes which have been
configured to accept hard routes can bridge two LocalTalk networks across a
larger TCP/IP network by encapsulating AppleTalk packets in TCP/IP packets. A
hard route might span several Ethernet or fiber-optic networks connected by IP
gateways.
IP "Front-Ending"
While not a full IP gateway, the GatorBox acts as an "IP front-end" for
Macintoshes on LocalTalk or Ethernet. The GatorBox understands and retains
internet routing information issued in Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
broadcasts and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) messages, so it knows
how to connect Macintoshes on local Ethernet or LocalTalk networks to IP hosts
on remote networks.
The GatorBox looks like an IP host to other IP hosts, and it uses one IP
address. It also supports subnetting, settable broadcast addresses (by
network), fragmentation, and IP options like "loose source routing", "strict
source routing", "record route", and others.
AppleTalk and IP Encapsulation
The GatorBox supports encapsulation of AppleTalk or EtherTalk packets in TCP
and encapsulation of TCP/IP packets in AppleTalk. When acting as an AppleTalk
bridge across an IP network, the GatorBox performs this encapsulation of
AppleTalk in TCP/IP.
When using "AppleTalk-encapsulated IP" packets to communicate with a
LocalTalk-based Macintosh running file transfer or terminal emulation software,
the GatorBox adds or removes the AppleTalk header and passes the packet to the
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 9
appropriate AppleTalk client or IP host.
Serial IP
In the second-half of 1988, the GatorBox will support Serial IP (SLIP). Sin
GatorBoxes configured with a LocalTalk GatorCard have an additional serial
port, users will be able to connect a modem to these LocalTalk-to-Ethernet
GatorBoxes, then communicate with IP hosts from remote Macintoshes running
SLIP-based file-transfer or terminal-emulation software.
GatorBox Configuration
First-Time Power Up
The GatorBox has one megabyte of random-access memory (RAM); this is where m
of its network software resides. A subset of the GatorBox's TCP/IP and
AppleTalk software is stored in 64K of read-only memory (ROM). The GatorBox
also has 2K of non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM), which is used to
store the GatorBox's network address and the network address and type of the
GatorBox's primary and secondary "download" servers.
When a GatorBox is powered up for the first time, it uses the AppleTalk
Name-Binding Protocol (NBP) to announce its presence to all Macintoshes on its
LocalTalk and Ethernet networks. It then waits for a reponse from the
"GatorKeeper" network administration program, which the network adminstrator
runs on one of these Macintoshes.
GatorKeeper tells the GatorBox the addresses of its download servers, which
GatorBox stores in NVRAM along with its own network address. The GatorBox then
sends a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) message to its primary download
server, which sends the GatorBox its network software. On subsequent
power-ups, the GatorBox requests its software directly from this download
server. If the primary download server fails to respond, the GatorBox gets its
software from its secondary download server.
GatorKeeper
GatorKeeper is Cayman's GatorBox configuration program. GatorKeeper is a
Macintosh application which can be used by the network administrator to
configure any number of GatorBoxes on an IP network. No other Macintosh user
needs to run GatorKeeper in order to use the GatorBox. GatorKeeper exploits
the Macintosh's graphical interface in providing a simple tool for configuring
and monitoring GatorBoxes.
GatorKeeper's "QuickStart" option gives the network administrator a simple,
fast way to configure a GatorBox. When QuickStart is selected, GatorKeeper
walks the user through a series of screens, each of which requires input of
some required network parameters. Where possible, GatorKeeper suggests
defaults which should work in most network environments.
The parameters QuickStart requires from the network administrator include th
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 10
GatorBox's IP address, the addresses of its primary and secondary download
servers (these servers can be IP hosts, Macintoshes, or other GatorBoxes), the
name-serving method used (BIND, IEN116, or Domain name serving), and the IP
addresses and exported file systems of the available NFS servers.
GatorKeeper also allows the administrator to configure a new GatorBox throug
more detailed Configuration Window. The Configuration Window presents
configuration information for a variety of GatorBoxes, and lets the
administrator "cut" and "paste" attributes from one GatorBox to other
GatorBoxes.
GatorKeeper also has windows which let the administrator monitor the status
multiple GatorBoxes. The Status Window shows the activity status of any group
of GatorBoxes defined by the administrator. The Diagnostics Window lets the
administrator monitor the severity of the errors any GatorBox is experiencing.
Error statistics for any GatorBox can be saved in a format readable by a
Macintosh spreadsheet, like Microsoft Excel.
GatorBox Hardware
The GatorBox has three circuit boards. The GatorBox motherboard houses all
the GatorBox's intelligence. It also has stacking connectors for each of the
GatorBox's two GatorCards. The GatorCards house all of the network interface
hardware.
Motherboard
The GatorBox motherboard features the following components:
% Motorola 68000 processor, 10-Mhz clock speed.
% 1 MB dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for downloadable network softwa
% 64 KB erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) contains GatorBox
operating system.
% 2 KB non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) for downloadable configur
parameters.
% Watchdog timer.
% Software timer interrupt.
% Stacking connectors for two GatorCards.
LocalTalk GatorCard
The LocalTalk GatorCard features the following components:
% Stacking connector to motherboard.
% LocalTalk port, uses Apple-standard "mini-8" circular DIN connector, sup
Aug 29 23:54 1988 inbox/7 Page 11
230 K baud ALAP connections.
% Serial port, uses Apple-standard "mini-8" circular DIN connector, suppor
asynchronous and synchronous connections up to 56 K baud.
Ethernet GatorCard
The Ethernet GatorCard features the following components:
% National NIC Ethernet chip set.
% Stacking connector to motherboard.
% Hardware direct memory access (DMA) from local storage to CPU memory.
% Sliding-lock DB-15 connector to standard Ethernet transceiver. Provides
volts at 0.5 amps for transceiver power.
% BNC connector to RG 58 coaxial "Thin Ethernet" networks.
George Bray Voice: +61-2-484-1163
SAND Consulting Pty Ltd Compu$erve:
P.O. Box 165, Keylink/Dialcom: 07:geo001
Beecroft, NSW, 2119. Internet: gbray@ditsyda.oz.au
A U S T R A L I A uucp: uunet!munnari!ditsyda.oz au!gbray
GeoPac: Geo ClubMac: George Bray MacNet: geo
sorry about the junk in this file. I'm a unix neophyte.pswisnov@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Peter S. Wisnovsky) (10/09/88)
In article <1780@runx.ips.oz>, geo@runx.ips.oz (George Bray ) writes: > 11.Does the GatorBox let me print from my UNIX workstation on Ethernet to a > LaserWriter on LocalTalk? > > Yes. Software running in the GatorBox provides a printing gateway from UNIX > terminals or workstations on Ethernet to LaserWriters on LocalTalk... Can Kinetics FastPath boxes do this too?-- + Peter Wisnovsky pswisnov@phoenix.princeton.edu BitNet: pswisnov@pucc + "His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like tthe descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." -Joyce
ijlustig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Irvin Lustig) (10/10/88)
In article <1780@runx.ips.oz> geo@runx.ips.oz (George Bray ) writes: > >The GatorBox from Cayman Systems is an Apple LocalTalk to Ethernet protocol >converter that translates unix NFS server architecture to Apples Filing >Protocol (AFP). This is an update to let folks know of things that don't work yet. We just got our GatorBox and are pretty satisfied with the Appleshare/NFS features and the telnet/FTP features (via NCSA telnet). Cayman is working on these features/problems as I write this. To shorten this note, I only included the things that don't work yet. > The >GatorBox also serves as a full AppleTalk-to-EtherTalk bridge, allowing >EtherTalk-based Macintoshes to access local and remote LocalTalk-based >devices. I have heard that the LocalTalk-Ethertalk gateway stuff doesn't work yet. We haven't tried it specifically because we don't have Ethertalk. >7. Can I use the GatorBox as an AppleTalk bridge? >Yes. The GatorBox is a full AppleTalk bridge. It allows Macintoshes on Someone else at Princeton had a GatorBox for review and had some problems with using the GatorBox as an Appletalk bridge. This is a known problem and Cayman is working on it. >11.Does the GatorBox let me print from my UNIX workstation on Ethernet to a >LaserWriter on LocalTalk? >Yes. Software running in the GatorBox provides a printing gateway from UNIX This doesn't work yet. Cayman now says this will be available during the first quarter of 1989. >12.Can I print from my Macintosh on LocalTalk to a PostScript-based laser >printer attached to my NFS server? >Not yet. This capability will be available to GatorBox users in the fourth >quarter of 1988. This may now be postponed to the first quarter of 1989 (or later?) >For more information on the GatorBox, contact Cheryl Alexander at (617) >494-1999. >Cayman, the Cayman logo, GatorBox and GatorKeeper are trademarks of Cayman >Systems, Inc., >One Kendall Square, Building 600, Cambridge, MA 02139. New address: University Park at MIT 26 Landsdowne St. Cambridge, MA 02139 >The GatorBox is a full AppleTalk bridge. It lets Macintoshes on LocalTalk As mentioned above, there may be problems here. >In the second-half of 1988, the GatorBox will support Serial IP (SLIP). Sin This does not work yet. No word on when it will work, but the box has the connector, so I guess it's just a matter of software. >GatorKeeper's "QuickStart" option gives the network administrator a simple, >fast way to configure a GatorBox. When QuickStart is selected, GatorKeeper >walks the user through a series of screens, each of which requires input of >some required network parameters. Where possible, GatorKeeper suggests >defaults which should work in most network environments. QuickStart does not work yet. >George Bray Voice: +61-2-484-1163 >SAND Consulting Pty Ltd Compu$erve: >P.O. Box 165, Keylink/Dialcom: 07:geo001 >Beecroft, NSW, 2119. Internet: gbray@ditsyda.oz.au >A U S T R A L I A uucp: uunet!munnari!ditsyda.oz au!gbray > GeoPac: Geo ClubMac: George Bray MacNet: geo -Irv Lustig Assistant Professor Dept. of Civil Engineering and Operations Research Princeton University irv%basie@princeton.edu