[comp.sys.mac.comm] Summary for Mac<->PC

jch@public.BTR.COM (Jack Hwang) (10/12/90)

After posting a question about how to connect PC and Mac, I received a lot
of responses. At last, I decided to move both machince to be side by side(Wow!
it's tough!) and get a RS232 cable from the local store.  Thanks for all
the helps.

Jack Hwang


The summary of the response.
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From: macman@wpi.wpi.edu (Chris Silverberg)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

We're a little short on information... for instance, what kind of cable
are you trying to use? A serial cable? Phonenet?

What software are you using?

If you are using a serial configuration, what pinouts on each end do you
have configured?

Reply these to the net, other people need the same info to answer your post.
 
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From: Ellen Brewer <ebrewer@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

Suggest you try a null-modem cable instead. You don't say what your exact
hardware and software setup is, but a null-modem cable will allow you to use
whatever speeds your computers and the software you have for them will
support. With kermit software (which should be available to you free) on
both you can go really fast! If you already have a modem cable for each
computer, you need a cable with female ends which crosses the data-in and
data-out lines of RS232 and possibly also some 'handshaking' lines,
which you can get from a local dealer or a mailorder place like Inmac.
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From: george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544)
Organization: Southwestern Bell Advanced Technology Laboratory

INEXPENSIVE?!  If you think that's inexpensive, you're going to love this!

Just make a direct RS-232 connection between the two machines.  A few simple
wires will do it.  10 meters should be no problem at all.  Best of all, you'll
be able to get speeds like 9600 kbps and 19200 kbps!

George
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From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park

Often modems won't work over just a phone line-- they need the central office
in between.  A better solution would probably be to get some fairly heavy
ribbon cable and run an RS-232 line across-- you still might not be able
to get high baud rates reliably, but you should be able to do at a MINIMUM,
1200 baud.  (your existing cable might work at the mac end, depending on 
whether the PC side is DTE or DCE.  A mac modem cable looks DTE, so if the
PC port is configurable, set it to DCE)
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