Re: GS/TCP (TCP/IP for the IIGS)

[vandry@CAM.ORG (Phillip Vandry)]

scotth@uiuc.edu (Scott Henson) writes:

>Something else of interest is that TCP/IP can be run over AppleTalk.

I find it more interesting to run Appletalk over TCP/IP. At my school (I am
the sys admin so I know the network like the back of my hand), there is a
UNIX server, a Mac, and three royters on a backbone Ethernet. A localtalk
networks goes out from each router. The UNIX server has a SLIP link with
another distant UNIX machine, allowing the school's TCP/IP network to speak
to the distant one. Appletalk also runs over TCP/IP through the SLIP link to
connect the two Appletalk networks.

>If someone would write an AppleTalk Remote Access client for the IIgs
>to go along with GS/TCP, then those who use ARA would have an easy way

It's easier, and better to port a PPP (point to point link, similar to SLIP)
daemon to the GS.

Well, both support their native protocols (ARA Appletalk and PPP TCP/IP), and
both can handle the opposite protocol (ARA can handle TCP/IP and PPP can
handle Appletalk), so why do I prefer using a native TCP/IP protocol?

Because! If you want to connect to a Mac, for example, you could use ARA or
PPP, since the Mac can do both. But if you want to connect to a UNIX box,
which is in fact more likely since UNIX boxes are typically the ones with
the serial ports and modems in a multi platform network, you can only
use a native TCP/IP protocol since I doubt very much that UNIX can do ARA
(if it can, it's certainly not popular or widespread).

Also, the sources to various UNIX native TCP/IP daemons (such as the
above mentioned pppd) are freely available.

Jawaid: what protocols _are_ currently available for GS/TCP? Not Ethernet since
there is no card. I'd be surprised if SLIP, PPP, or ARA were already available.
I suppose TCP/IP over localtalk is implemented - it's the only networking
interface built into the GS...

-Phil