DESCHAPEL@DAYTON.BITNET (02/05/90)
Hello all,
I seem to remember this question being asked as while back,
but I can't remember the answer, and of course, now, I need it. :-)
Situation:
One room Lab with about 18 computers (AT class or less) as
workstations. (thinnet)
Server is 386SX based running SFT (I don't remember the
version, but it's very recent)
The ethernet backbone cable (to tcp/ip hosts) is running down
the hall right outside the lab.
Question: what's the best way and/or least expensive way to get to
the tcp/ip hosts:
1. use a bridge from thinnet to thicknet and packet drivers
at the workstations. ??
2. use another nic in the server to tie to the backbone, and
some gateway software (which software?) ??
3. some other method ??
Thanks for any info.
+--------------------------------------------+
| Barb Deschapelles |
| University of Dayton |
| Office for Computing Activities, |
| Telecommunications |
| Dayton, Ohio 45469 |
| voice: 513 - 229-4040 |
| Bitnet: DESCHAPEL@DAYTON |
+--------------------------------------------+MOLTA@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU (02/06/90)
> I seem to remember this question being asked as while back, >but I can't remember the answer, and of course, now, I need it. :-) >Situation: > One room Lab with about 18 computers (AT class or less) as > workstations. (thinnet) > Server is 386SX based running SFT (I don't remember the > version, but it's very recent) > The ethernet backbone cable (to tcp/ip hosts) is running down > the hall right outside the lab. >Question: what's the best way and/or least expensive way to get to > the tcp/ip hosts: > 1. use a bridge from thinnet to thicknet and packet drivers > at the workstations. ?? > 2. use another nic in the server to tie to the backbone, and > some gateway software (which software?) ?? > 3. some other method ?? Barb, I'd suggest that a MAC-level bridge connecting the lab directly to the Ethernet would be the best solution. You could then run NCSA Telnet with the packet drivers and provide your users with both Telnet VT-100 emulation and TN-3270 emulation. As far as a particular bridge to go with, Retix is always a safe choice, but I personally like the Cabletron bridges. A gateway solution, such as the Racal Interlan TCP/IP Gateway, will provide you with outgoing Telnet (not TN3270), outgoing FTP, AND incoming FTP. If the latter is important, you may want to consider a gateway. However, be forewarned that Racal Interlan's support for this product is about the worst I have ever experienced. Whenever a new release's documentation includes 6 or 8 pages of bug notes, you have to wonder a little. Hope this helps. Dave Molta University of North Texas
ronc@XLNVAX.EXCELAN.COM (Ron Cully) (02/06/90)
> Situation: > One room Lab with about 18 computers (AT class or less) as > workstations. (thinnet) > Server is 386SX based running SFT (I don't remember the > version, but it's very recent) > The ethernet backbone cable (to tcp/ip hosts) is running down > the hall right outside the lab. > > Question: what's the best way and/or least expensive way to get to > the tcp/ip hosts: > The "best" and the "least expensive" are not necessarily the same if you define "best" as the best functional implementation. > 1. use a bridge from thinnet to thicknet and packet drivers > at the workstations. ?? > 2. use another nic in the server to tie to the backbone, and > some gateway software (which software?) ?? > 3. some other method ?? > If you are looking for full function TCP/IP access, I would recommend a TCP/IP package for the workstations which runs concurrently with the NetWare shell. There are several packages which can do this very well. Novell currently has a package (acquired with the Excelan merger) called LAN Workplace for DOS. This is a TCP/IP implementation which runs on an EXOS intelligent ethernet controller (also available from Novell). If you have existing 3Com or WD cards, you can get TCP/IP implementations from FTP Software and Wollongong which use non-intelligent controllers. To my knowledge, all of these run concurrently with the NetWare shell. Therefore you can FTP files from the TCP/IP host to a NetWare drive. These also come with Telnet and r-utilities as well. For LAN Workplace, you can also place the PC into FTP-daemon mode. This allows another TCP/IP host to get and put files to the PC. If the PC has a NetWare drive connection, then a TCP/IP host can get and put files on the NetWare drive (as long as the PC is in FTPD mode). Besides being full featured implementations of TCP/IP (which I personally find better), they also will have much better performance than existing server based gateway implementations. Considering that you are looking at 18 clients which likely have cards already, it would be much better (functionality-performance/price) to go with a TCP/IP implmentation on the PCs (about $400 per box). To connect thin and thick ethernet together, you have a couple of options. One option is a multiport repeater. Although these are a little expensive, they will prevent collision problems if your network is approaching the length limitations of ethernet. If your network is going to violate the max repeater hops, then you need to use a TCP/IP router (see cisco or Proteon etc..). If you have no distance considerations involved, you can use a thin-to-thick transceiver (available from Black Box etc..); these run about $180 as opposed to thousands of $ for the other solutions.
LARRY@VM.NRC.CA (Larry Bradley) (02/06/90)
If you decide on the gateway route, I suggest you look at the products from Wollongong .... WIN/TCP for DOS, which is the user package, features FTP. FTP Daemon, Telnet, TN3270 (works NICE!) and WIN/ROUTE, which is a router that runs in a PC with 2 LAN cards ... on to your TCP/IP backbone and one to your Novell LAN. These packages use special drivers to run TCP/IP over IPX (or Netbios). Thus there is no need for packet drivers. And you can use it on ARCnet or token-ring or whatever ... the IPX drivers hide the underlying Novell LAN details from the TCP/IP code. It works VERY nicely indeed, and with WIN/ROUTE 2.1 (which I am Beta testing), it works across Novell internal bridges too. *------------------------------------+----------------------* |Larry Bradley | LARRY@VM.NRC.CA | |Communications Manager | Larry.Bradley@NRC.CA | |National Research Council of Canada | LARRY@NRCVM01 | |Networks Branch | | |M60, Montreal Road | (613)993-0240 | |Ottawa, Canada K1A 0R6 | FAX:(613) 954-2561 | *------------------------------------+----------------------*