cracraft@venera.isi.edu (Stuart Cracraft) (12/18/87)
As far as we can tell, the AppleTalk network is one of the more difficult
and frustrating networks to maintain. So that others may benefit from
our experience, we are here summarizing our major problems with the net:
1) a lack of good, solid connectors means that every week or two,
some portion of the network 'breaks' and we end up with several
nets.
2) as far as we can tell, print software version 4.0 does not like
to run on Mac II's, which mostly likes version 5.0. This means that
in our mixed network, different versions of the print software
end up having to co-exist and subsequently a new print seems to
require a lengthy printer down-load half the time.
3) adding new hosts is bulky, time-consuming and difficult. Cutting
a cable in half and then attaching new three-prong end-plugs to
each of the new ends is a lengthy, stripping-and-soldering process.
4) we are not aware of any good network diagnostic software that we
ourselves can get ahold of, as much as we would like to have some.
rumors abound of a network diagnostic tool that verifies all
possible 'pairs' of inter-Mac communication, but we haven't found
a supplier yet.
5) the serial nature of the network is somewhat cumbersome. two wires
usually need to be run to each Mac unless it is the end of the net
(rare), so the cable-duplication and general cable-confusion is
high.
Remarkably, the only thing we presently use our network for is to ensure
that each Mac or Mac II can print to one of two LaserWriter's on the net.
It should be a simple, stable configuration, but we have found this not
to be the case.
StuartGRANTS.MARTIN@chip.uchicago (Martin Starr) (12/22/87)
Subject: PHONENET CHECKNET Sender: GRANTS.JEFF@CHIP.UChicago To: cracraft@ucbvax.berkeley.edu You should give this product a try to test your AppleTalk network. Before we had it, our network (consisting of 19 Mac Pluses, 2 Imagewriters, 1 Laserwriter, a shared hard disk) was prone to break down due to minor disconnections, sometimes not even visible. The only way I had to check out the connections was to go from machine to machine and physically unconnect and reconnect each device, keeping track of what net resources it could access. Checknet is a DA that comes with an init that forces each Plus to register its name on the network at signon time, as the printers do automatically. You run Checknet after turning on all the devices and see which ones show up. If it is really messed up, you can go from machine to machine with it and repeat the process; the device list can be saved and used in Excel. I am very happy with it, and our network is (knock on wood) is running smoothly. We use AppleShare 1.1. for file sharing and LaserWriter 5.0 and Imagewriter 2.6 for printing. I have no connection with Farallon Computing, the manufacturer of Checknet. Martin Starr (312/702-9260) University of Chicago/Office of Research Administration (grants.martin@chip.uchicago) "If it's not broken, don't tell anyone when you fix it!" -------
kenw@noah.arc.CDN (Ken Wallewein) (12/22/87)
Stuart at USC-Information Sciences Institute writes: >3) adding new hosts is bulky, time-consuming and difficult. Cutting >a cable in half and then attaching new three-prong end-plugs to >each of the new ends is a lengthy, stripping-and-soldering process. Do I understand correctly that Stuart is modifying (gasp!) Apple-supplied cables? Doesn't upset the termination and impedance matching? /kenw