netatalk, AsanteTalk, EtherWave

[Ivan X <ivan@ivanx.com>]

Hello world,

Brief update on the stuff I've been doing with netatalk lately:

- Because it's nominally still available and frequently turns up
cheaply used, I've invested a lot of time and effort into trying to
make an AsanteTalk work reliably as a hardware bridge from my Apple
IIe to the netatalk server. I can get the IIe to find the server
sometimes, but it takes a fair bit of luck. Once it does, it stays
that way until the AsanteTalk is unplugged, and then I have to begin
the voodoo all over again. When it doesn't, it seems to be because the
AsanteTalk is unaware of the AppleTalk network on the Ethernet side.
Getting an older Mac to recongize the server first helps, but even
getting that to happen is a crapshoot. If you have one of these, and
you get your Apple II to see the server...put it on a UPS.

- I just bought a Farallon EtherWave bridge off eBay -- they don't
turn up that often -- and tried it out tonight. That works a million
jillion times better, effortlessly recognizing different servers with
different names running in different virtual machines. There are three
models, called "Printer Adapter", "MultiPrinter Adapter", and "Mac/
PowerBook Adapter," all of which should work. eBay protip: etherwave -
aaui -aui -moog -card -isa -nubus -microwave

- I am close to having ready a premade VirtualBox appliance to just
fire up and start serving netatalk with. Will announce when it's ready.