Re: Simple IIGS-Mac network - boy i feel stupid

[shack@onyx.southwind.net (Randy Shackelford)]

David Empson (dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
: In article <3ovn7f$brk@news.ysu.edu>, Eric S. Ford <ag471@yfn.ysu.edu> wrote:
: > 
: > More "dumb" questions:
: > 
: > 1.  Are external hard drives (attached to the Mac server, of course) also
: > "accessible" through an Appletalk network or just the internals?

: Any partition on any Mac hard drive (including removable drives such as
: SyQuests) can be shared.  So can CD-ROM drives.

Yeah but using removable disks with sharing is a pain in the butt. You gotta
turn off sharing, mount the disk, then turn sharing back on to use the disk,
and turn off sharing, eject the disk, and turn sharing back on when you're 
done. I keep a 4 mb RAM disk on my Quadra and use it to get files between the
IIgs and the magneto optical disks on the Quadra. You're supposed to be able
to switch disks with no trouble with Appleshare but I don't have any removables
on my server machine so I haven't tried it out.

: > 2.  An IWII attached to a GS via Appletalk requires its own Appletalk card,
: > what about an IWII connected to a Mac server?  Can it be shared via Appletalk
: > without its own card? 

: A Mac running System 7's file sharing cannot act as an AppleShare
: Print Server - you have to be running the full AppleShare server
: software for that.  Any networked printers are completely independent
: of the Mac.

I think there are cheaper print servers than Appleshare but can't name any

: I believe there is software called "GreyShare" which allows a Mac to
: act as a server for a locally connected printer, but I don't know what
: printer types are supported.  (This would require using both serial
: ports of the Mac, of course.)

: Can anyone fill in details about GreyShare?

Greyshare isn't a server per se, it makes the direct connect printer available
to other machines on the network. There is a specific greyshare driver thingy
for each supported printer, e.g. Laserwriter select or Stylewriter. There isn't
one for IWs to my knowledge since they have hardware networking.

: > What about a DeskJet 500?

: A DeskJet?  You don't mean DeskWriter?  A DeskWriter can be connected
: directly to a LocalTalk network.  A DeskJet would have to be plugged
: into the other serial port of the Mac.  You would need a DJ500 driver
: for the Mac to be able to use the printer (I assume there is one).  I
: don't know if GreyShare would work with this printer.

: > 3.  What is the oldest Mac (i.e. cheapest alternative) that will support the
: > role of server and accept external, scsi drives?

: The Mac Plus.  An SE or later machine would be a better option, as its
: SCSI port is faster than the Plus.

Yep, Pluses are good but an SE is better. I recently got an SE 1/20 for $100
and mothballed the Plus I was using for a server.

: > 4.  What is the longest "practical" distance between server and client?

: Whatever the maximum length of a LocalTalk network is.  According to
: the documentation I have here, that is 1000 feet (total for all
: network segments).

The limit on bona fide localtalk is 1000 feet but phonenet type localtalk can
go longer. The kind from Focus Enhancements like I have is said to be able to
go to 5000 feet.

: > 5.  Where can I read about all this type stuff on my own and avoid imposing
: > my ignorance on others, however willing they might be to help?

: Pass.  Some details are provided in Apple's "AppleTalk Network System
: Overview" book.  The copy I have here is pretty old - it predates
: System 7.  It is probably more technical than the average user needs.
: There may be a later edition or another manual that is more user
: oriented.

Just go ahead and ask, we don't have anything better to do :)
-- 
Randy Shackelford                                 I was internet
shack@southwind.net                               when internet wasn't cool