[comp.protocols.appletalk] Setting network # in EtherTalk devices

xxss520@CHPC.BRC.UTEXAS.EDU ("L. Stuart Vance") (09/28/88)

We have a very large, diverse (technologically, geographically and
politically) campus Ethernet (broadband) network, and are having to run
multiple AppleTalk network numbers on it so that various departments
don't have to see each other's machines and printers (and, more importantly
to them that they can't access each other's equipment).  Only problem is
when you throw a Mac in with an Ethernet board with EtherTalk enabled.
The Mac associates itself with (potentially) a different network each
time you fire up the chooser (it picks the network number associated with
the last AppleTalk packet that it saw on it's Ethernet interface).

Question: does anyone (hello, Apple, 3Com and Kinetics) know of a way
to hardwire an AppleTalk network number into a Mac so that it is always
associated with a certain network?

Thanks!
L. Stuart Vance
Network Systems Specialist
Texas Higher Education Network Information Center
UT System Office of Telecommunication Services

THEnet:   THENIC::STUART		  BITNET:  XXSS520@UTCHPC
Internet: XXSS520@CHPC.BRC.UTEXAS.EDU	  Ma Bell: (512) 471-2416

ragge@nada.kth.se (Ragnar Sundblad) (09/30/88)

In article <Added.YXDwtvy00UkTA_Nk9k@andrew.cmu.edu> xxss520@CHPC.BRC.UTEXAS.EDU ("L. Stuart Vance") writes:

>The Mac associates itself with (potentially) a different network each
>time you fire up the chooser (it picks the network number associated with
>the last AppleTalk packet that it saw on it's Ethernet interface).

No, no, no! This is NOT the way of doing it! Never run more than one
EtherTalk on one ethernet! If you have to, get bridges that can filter
specified protocols, and turn of EtherTalk (2 types!). Then get some
kind of EtherTalk router (A MacII with several ethernet interfaces and
some software) to connect the logical ethertalk networks.  The mac
does not get it's network from any passing packets, but from
RTMP-packets, and normally it asks for it.

>Thanks!
>L. Stuart Vance
>Network Systems Specialist
hmm...
>Texas Higher Education Network Information Center
>UT System Office of Telecommunication Services