Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!decwrl!ucbvax!applelink.apple.com!CLAUSS1
From: CLAUSS1@applelink.apple.com (Clauss, Chris)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: A LaserWriter LocalTalk Zone
Message-ID: <5868559@AppleLink.Apple.COM>
Date: 3 Oct 90 05:11:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 46

Ok guys... riddle me this...
 
    If I put all my Macintoshes directly onto Ethernet (EtherTalk NB Cards) and
put ONLY LaserWriters onto LocalTalk (or PhoneNet) and then I tie the EtherTalk
and LocalTalk networks together with a Shiva FastPath, will my Macs be able to
print to the LaserWriters?
 
            =======    =======    =======    =======
            = Mac =    = Mac =    = Mac =    = Mac =
            =======    =======    =======    =======
               |          |          |          |       =========
Ethernet --> ========================================== = Shiva =
                                                        = Fast- =
LocalTalk -> ------------------------------------------ = Path  =
               |          |          |          |       =========
            =======    =======    =======    =======
            = LW  =    = LW  =    = LW  =    = LW  =
            =======    =======    =======    =======
 
    Sure you say!  Of course it will work!  Well I have a customer who tried
this and it did not work!  When he phoned Shiva tech support they said that
this is a "known problem".
 
    They said that the Macintoshes send periodic packets to routers and that
LaserWriters do not send these packets.  If it does not receive traffic from a
LocalTalk segment after a certain amount of time, a FastPath will no longer
route traffic to that network.  The LocalTalk segment would soon disappear!
The Shiva tech support folks reportedly said that we would need to put at least
one Macintosh onto the LocalTalk for this scheme to work.  128k Macs are cheap
these days but this seems unreasonable.
 
    Is this stuff for real?  Have any of you run into this problem before?  Is
this also a problem for Cayman Boxes, EtherGates, MaxWays, MultiGates, etc, as
well or is this just a FastPath bug?
 
    Thanx,
 
    Christian Clauss
    Systems Engineer
    Apple Computer, Inc.
    18 Tobey Village Office Park
    Pittsford, NY  14534
    (716) 381-7772
    AppleLink:  Clauss1
    Internet:   Clauss1@AppleLink.Apple.Com