SECRIST%OAK.SAINET.MFENET@LLL-MFE.arpa (11/06/86)
From: <SECRIST%OAK.SAINET.MFENET@LLL-MFE.Arpa> (Richard C. Secrist) Date: Wed, 5-NOV-1986 20:44 EST To: INFO-MICRO@BRL-VGR.ARPA Message-ID: <[OAK.SAINET.MFENET].649279C0.008F7858.SECRIST> Header-Disclaimer: I don't like my headers either ! X-VMS-Mail-To: MICRO 1) Recently DEC announced a thinwire Ethernet <--> real Ethernet box. (DEMPR or something like that.) 2) Like someone said, the Apple ][ class machines can jump onto Appletalk with the Macs and hence onto Ethernet. But perhaps that's thinwire Ethernet - but that's no problem for a DEMPR/VAX. 3) I have seen PCs use DEC's DECnet-DOS product to talk over 3Com thinwire Ethernet boards - through the DEC box - and into a MicroVAX II doing virtual terminal services. Sounds like you've got a network to me if the software is any good. I can vouch for DECnet DOS - it's wonderful (if you know DECnet you'll feel right at home !). I dunno about the Appletalk stuff, particularly for a ///... but if you can run the ///'s in ][ emulation mode when you need to do net-stuff you ought to be able to do something. Remember that Apple /// SOS is compatable with ProDOS-8, so you can always walk a disk over to a ][-class machine. Maybe another approach is if Apple made a card for their (now defunct ?!) "school bus" for the /// ?! Then again, if all you're looking for is file transfer there's always Kermit - and that's a good bit cheaper than all of this Ethernet hardware. Other things aside - if you live on a PC and play with VAXen DECnet DOS is a MUST even if you don't net yourself to everything else. Alternatively you can use DECnet DOS through a serial port (abiet much slower) and without any PC-hardware investment -- besides DECnet DOS is comparitively cheap (~$300). [Flame: pity that you can buy DECnet for a wimpy processor like the 8088 so inexpensively when you can't get it on one of the 68K-class machines.] rcs SECRIST%OAK.SAInet.MFEnet@LLL-MFE.Arpa