Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!dinosaur.cis.ohio-state.edu!verber
From: verber@dinosaur.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark A. Verber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Connecting Macs to Ethernet and Printers
Message-ID: <28721@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 30 Nov 88 15:01:16 GMT
References: <3818@cheviot.newcastle.ac.uk>
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: Ohio State University, Computer Science Department
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> Equip each Mac with its own ethernet connector (using something like
> the Kinetics EtherPort SE for SEs and EtherSC for the Pluses), and connect 
> them all directly to the Ethernet. This leaves us with the problem of how
> to connect a printer.

This would be my preference if you have the money.  Speed is always
nice.  I would use the Liason software from Infosphere.  Liason is a
software bridge which will run on any Mac.  It takes approx 20K in
your heap.  A very nice product.  You could connect a Laserwriter via
LocalTalk to a Mac running Liason that had one port for LocalTalk and
an Ethernet board.  I have heard good things about the Dove FastNet
hardware.  Using Dove might be better that Kinetics since all the
Kinetics products have a problem when talking to very fast Ethernet
hosts.

> Install a short LocalTalk network for the four Macs in one area with a
> Kinetics FP to the ethernet, and attach the laserwriter to that LocalTalk
> segment. For the other 2/3, either connect them directly as in the former
> suggestion, or use another LocalTalk/FastPath combination (expensive
> for just 2 machines).
> 

This is an OK solution.  If you have mainly MacPluses, this is much
more cost effective than having an Ethernet connection for each Mac.
If you have mainly SEs or MacIIs I would go with the Ethernet cards.
I would think strongly about the Cayman GatorBox rather than a Kinetics
Fastpath.

> 
> - What software is available for the Mac in the ethernet area. What TCP/IP
> implementations are there, and what are their capabilities? What ether-
> connection hardware will the various software drive? 
>  

For TCP/IP on the Mac there is:

	* NSCA Telnet (public domain)
	* Stanford MacIP (FTP, Telnet, Finger, and MH-Mail) for ~$100
	* TCP/IP Connection for InterCon (a commercial version of NSCA with
	  goodies such as client ftp, better terminal emulation, etc.).
	* MacNFS from Apple some day?
	* Ungerman-Bass TCP/IP (ftp, telnet, smtp, other goodies)

> NCSA telnet file transfers going the Fastpath route vs. ether hardware?

Most of the TCP/IP products will talk directly to Ethernet hardware.
The is a great deal of preformace difference.

> LaswerWriter via Chooser w/ EtherTalk

If you have bridges running between an EtherTalk segment and a
LocalTalk (bridges being a Fastpath, GaterBox, or Mac w/ Liason) will
support the Chooser just fine.  The only worry you might have is if
your Ethernet us no one continuous cable and has a router between your
two Macintosh clusters.  Most routers don't know about AppleTalk.