SYPETER%CUGSBVM.BITNET@SUVM.ACS.SYR.EDU (Peter Bombace) (02/08/90)
Does Netware for macintosh support token ring adapters? If not, does anyone know of any plans for support in the future?
DAN@GACVAX1.BITNET (Dan Boehlke) (02/11/90)
> Does Netware for macintosh support token ring adapters? If not, does > anyone know of any plans for support in the future? Once the Macintosh VAPs for netware support Phase II of the Appletalk protocols it should be possible to have a Netware fileserver and a Macintosh connected to token ring connect. The Mac VAPs are only compliant with Phase I of Appletalk. The version of Appletalk for token rings, only supports Phase II. I suspect that the only other thing that must happen is to modify the Mac VAPs to talk to the driver for a token ring card. There is a work arround in the mean time. Apple sells an Appletalk router package, that will allow a Mac II(plain, x, cx, or ci) to act as a router between two different networks, or even two networks on different media. This router will also translate Phase I appletalk packets to Phase II. If you already have an Mac VAP compatable ethernet card in your server, and a Mac II you want to connect to your token ring, you can install both an Ethertalk NB card, and a Tokentalk NB card in the Mac II, and run Apple's router in the backround on that computer. The Apple router runs as an INIT so it should not interfear with the normal operation of the Mac II. Once Novell has its Phase II compliant VAP ready, you can use the netware fileserver to route from the ethernet to token ring. I have heard that using a Mac II as a router will also will also work for peole who have Arcnet and want to run Macs on the Arcnet network. The router software costs much less than many other similar products such as a FastPath or a GatorBox, educationaly I think is only costs $300. Dan Boehlke Campus Network Manager Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, MN