Re: Connecting Apple IIgs to Ethernet LAN

[TC <creek@worldnet.att.net>]

Dirk Ebert wrote:
> 
> Hey everybody,
> I would like to connect my old Apple IIgs to our Local Network. I never did any
> Network installation with Apples before, so I have some question. Any help
> would be highly appreciated:
> 
> 1) Physical connection
> From what I read, I suppose that one of the serial ports can be assigned as as
> "LocalTalk" adapter.
> What kind of transceiver do I need to connect it to a RJ45 ethernet?

You need a LocalTalk to EtherTalk bridge.  I use a Dayna MiniEtherprint.
Works like a champ.  You will need an AppleTalk router to seed the 
network number with it, unless you can use the included Mac software
on a Mac to configure it.  The Shiva FastPath and the Gatorbox also
work.

> 2) Protocols
> I heard that there is a TCP/IP suite for the IIgs somewhere. Anybody knows a
> link?
> Are there drivers for other Protocols like NETBIOS over TCP/IP and IPX ?
> 
> Or the other way round:
> Are there any programmes for Windows95/Linux/Solaris computers, so they can
> understand the packets used by AppleTalk?

There are two that will work on most *NIX systems.

Columbia AppleTalk Package (CAP)
This one is pretty old, but works great.  You have to get it
and all the patches, then apply them.  Once that is done, you can
then begin to try and build it.  Remember to build and configure
for EtherTalk.  You'll also need to get UAR (UNIX-AppleTalk router) and
build that to seed a network number to your AppleTalk network.  I've
got it running on Solaris 7 and I can log in with my UNIX password
as a real user and do file operations, move disk images, etc.

Netatalk - I built it on Solaris, but it wouldn't let me work 
as anything but guest (like NT did, too, so I guess it's some
part of the protocol that they only halfway support).  I tried CAP
first, then netatalk, then went back and got CAP to work.  

> 3) Network files
> One thing I would like to do, is that the Apple IIgs can access some files on
> the network (I am aware that the speed would be quite slow).
> Are the any Programmes (kind of like Samba) that can provide Network Shares for
> Apples and run on Linux,Solaris or Windows?

It's faster than you think.  If you can't get CAP to build, I can
ship you ready to build source or my binaries for Solaris 2.6 and up.

Toby
-- 
Toby Creek
UNIX/NT/network/PBX/copier/Coke machine administrator
Last sighted in: Raleigh, NC
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