Re: //gs LocalTalk Port

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <359B4A56.3CF6B79D@netcomi.com>, Dan Bethe  <dtm@netcomi.com> wrote:
>>    For regular modem transmissions, then the 57600 bps speed
>> applies. Appletalk is done via a less-standard mode (asychronous vs
>> synchronous) not 'spoken' by the standard 16550[A] serial chips found
>> on non-Apple boxen. Same kind of quirk as the MFM vs GCR floppy disk
>> I/O, etc that prevents compatability by using unusual combos of
>> less-standard chips.

>	Oh, so if I did Appletalk between a //gs and a Linux pc, it would work
>at a maximum of 57600bps?  But if I did Appletalk with a //gs and a //gs
>or Mac, then it would be at a happy 230kbps?

   No. Appletalk is ONLY at the 230kbps speed, asynchronous. Modems
(and all other normal serial transmissions, such as printers, null
modems and the like) are up to 57.6kbps, synchronous. 

>	Is there any way to increase that speed if we're using a //gs and a
>Linux pc?  Get an Appletalk card for the PC?

   The Appletalk card or an external device to go from Ethernet <->
Appletalk is the only way to get a PC to speak Appletalk's *required*
230kbps async setup. Geez, this is just like the incompatible (without
rare addon hardware) PC 5.25" drives, where everyone and their pets
think they can do some magical bit of software that NOBODY's thought of
in the past decade and a half. Sorry, you cannot overcome such hardware
deficiencies on one or both sides with software.

>	Also I'm curious about using more than 2 hosts.  If I have Phonenet
>adaptors, are those just as directly hardware-compatible as a straight
>serial cable?  Do I need any additional special software drivers?  Or
>can I just hook up multiple Apple hosts and start sharing data?  Does
>this setup have to change if I want to add a printer?

   See http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html section 7.3 for
much more info on this. Cabling is either a printer cable for 2
machinies, or some phonenet-style for >2.  Drivers are not normally
installed on Apple IIs, but with the system disks, you can install
them. Apple IIs cannot export filesystems or the like with Apple's
software; they can only be clients to another box acting as a
server. Imagewriter IIs need an addin board to do Appletalk (again,
that rarer hardware issue to speak an oddball protocol).

>	Okay here's another level of complexity.  Can I also do tcp/ip across
>this Phonenet link?  Basically like you do with Ethernet?  Could I use
>the Linux PC as an internet connection via TCP/IP modem to an ISP, and
>also as a masquerading gateway to the rest of the in-house hosts?

   Well, ip-over-appletalk is specced out as a protocol, but Apple
couldn't be bothered to support such a thing. You're likely to have to
write large chunks of code. Richard Bennett's Marinetti was planned to
eventually support such a thing, but you'll have to talk to Richard
(on Delphi, as programmers just aren't treated with any respect in
csa2) as to if and/or when such a thing may ever come out.

Nathan Mates

--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
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# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? -R.A. Heinlein