kovar@husc4.HARVARD.EDU (10/05/88)
The building I work is is wired with a mix of thin and thick Ethernet for TCP/IP traffic and some twisted pair for Appletalk traffic connected to the TCP/IP network with a GatorBox. The administrative building has several independent networks, one of which is a Novell network for three IBM machines. Eventually, we're going to want to be able to connect the Novell network to the TCP/IP network to allow the exchange of mail, files, and the like. Unfortunately, my experience lies in the Appletalk to TCP area and I've very little idea of what is going on with things like Novell products. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to go about doing this, I would be most appreciative. Thanks, in advance. -David Kovar
kovar@husc4.HARVARD.EDU (10/11/88)
Many thanks to all that replied to my request. Your replies are sitting on a machine in another building that is having problems sending mail to the outside world so I'm just putting out a general "Thank you!" and hoping that is enough .... -David Kovar
kovar@husc4.HARVARD.EDU (10/13/88)
I initally asked how to connect a Novel network to a TCP/IP network to allow machines on the Novell side to exchange files with machines on the TCP side. Several suggestions came in, most saying "Call Excelan". As I should have done in the first place, I called them and discovered that they have a product called "LAN Workplace for Netware" that consists of an Ethernet card with a processor and memory on board and some software that is downloaded into that processor. It retails for $1045. If you want to buy only one of these devices, you put it in your server and then you can transfer files via a two step process from a client to a TCP site. One step takes the file to the server from the client and the next step moves it from the server to the TCP host. Excelan is shipping me more detailed information and, if you're interested, I suggest that you call them and request the packet. Call 1-800-EXCELAN. Someone else is using a product from Micom-Interlan and experienced two problems with it: 1) It dies in dirty, heavy traffic, about two times a month and 2) There is an intermittent problem with FTPing from hosts with Excelan cards. Despite these problems, they like the product a lot. It is cost effective and has the required functionality. It is rumored that #1 has been fixed. Another person mentioned using Micom/Internal TCP/IP gateways that reside in the Novell server. Anyone on the Novell net can access TCP/IP hosts by using provided software to go through the server gateway. It can handle approximately 32 Telnet and 16 FTP connections, though those numbers might be flipped. This route is $2000+. It may be the same product as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Again, thank you very much to all who replied. -David Kovar
ron@hardees.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (10/17/88)
I've got LAN WORKPLACE and the E205 installed in my machine, although I don't have NOVELL. It was given to me, and believe that $1000 is too much money to pay for a computer that only costs $2000. The card works, but it is nothing earthshattering. It does exactly TELNET and FTP and does not support anything else really interesting like domain name resolution. -Ron