Re: Stupid GS Networking Question

[hirsch@air.steve.net (Steven N. Hirsch)]

In article <357F22FE.2556@clark.net>, Ron Evry wrote:
>Hey folks,
>
>The school I work at has about 30 Apple IIgs computers. We recently
>purchased the site license for Apple II MECC software ($250 from The
>Learning Company -- worth it) and I am trying to set up an Appletalk
>network to run the Mecc stuff. Using a donated LCII as a server and a
>slew of phone net connectors, I set up System 6.0.1 floppies in the GSes
>and found that the network will not go beyond ten GSes. Any more than
>that (location doesn't matter -- it's the first ten that boot up that
>work) simply fail to see the server. At first I thought it was the RAM
>in the LCII, so I added some chips and boosted it from 4 megs to ten
>megs, but it failed to make a difference.
>
>My question is, will a different mac server work on more GSes? We have a
>Quadra 950 with 28 megs of ram on hand that is being used for
>ethernet/internet access, hyperstudio stack creation, and desktop
>publishing. If I use it for a GS server would that enable me to get past
>the ten computer limitation? And would it make it hard to use the other
>functions simultaneously?
>
>Are there other solutions? I also have some LCs, SEs, and an SE/30 on
>hand and some external drives. Would I be better off using three
>separate servers for ten GSes each?

I developed a patch for netatalk (Unix-based appletalk server) which
extends support to Apple IIe + Workstation Card and //gs machines.
There is no arbitrary limit on number of clients, and the price is
right (read: free).  There is a link to this patch on the U-Mich
Netatlk web site.

You will either need a supported ISA bus LocalTalk card (COPS,
Daystar, Tangent, Apple LTPC) or use an ethernet <--> localtalk bridge
(I paid $15 for mine at a swap meet).  The relatively slow speed of
localtalk implies a low load on the box.  I would think that even a
386 with 8-meg of memory would serve an entire classroom full of Apple
II machines.

It does not currently support network booting, as I've been unable to
obtain complete information from Apple on the protocol.  You would
need to make boot diskettes for the boxes (not a big  deal).

Since I've recently acquired a copy of Appletalk Server 3.0, I may get
around to reverse-engineering the boot protocol one of these days...

Steve