Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!munnari.oz.au!manuel!anucsd!rastaban!steve From: steve@rastaban.anu.oz.au (Steven Ball) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk Subject: Re: Webster Multiport Gateway opinions wanted Message-ID: Date: 28 May 91 07:45:42 GMT References: <1991May24.124056.12175@DMI.USherb.CA> Sender: news@anucsd.anu.oz.au (USENET News software) Distribution: all Organization: ANU Department of Computer Science Lines: 61 I administered a MultiPort long ago (over 12 months ago), so things have no doubt improved since then. Our campus has well over a dozen of these boxes, and overall they work extremely well. Anyway, enough of the disclaimers! I'll just delete the questions I can't answer. Here goes... mazu@roselin (Marc Mazuhelli) writes: >2) I know it can be configured using an HyperCard stack; is it easy to >set up and configure (compared to a GatorBox which I already know) Setting up a single MultiPort wasn't *too* bad (wasn't too good either). Setting up several MultiPorts connected via a backbone ethernet was a real pain. >3) I think it downloads its code from a Mac or a Unix box (like the old >GatorBox); it that reliable? Does it always come back on line >*without user intervention* after a power failure? Yes, Yes. >4) Since one box will handle 4 LocalTalk segments, if the box breaks >down, it affects a lot of people (and I will be in trouble, since I >will be the one they come yelling to...); so is the box as reliable as >Webster tells me it is (both hardware and software) Hardware-wise the box is very reliable. Software-wise, well, ours kept crashing... but remember that was many months ago and a new version of megan was installed just before I left so my comments may no longer be a true reflection of the current story. >5) 2 EtherRoutes would provide support for 4 LocalTalk ports at a lower >cost and potentialy more reliability (1 failure affects only half the >people) but with less LaserWriter security (which we need) and without >a few other things like async appletalk; is the higher price of the >Webster box worth it? With its DMA design, would 1 Webster box be as >fast as two EtherRoutes? The box has very good performance. It probably is worth it, but of course it's a trade-off. >7) Support by Cayman is pretty good; how does Webster's support >compare? I know they distribute their software updates by anon ftp >and provide support via e-mail but I would like to know if they really >answer our questions with real solutions and in a timely manner. I have no experience of Cayman's support. I found Webster's and kre's (the guru who actually wrote megan) support excellent and invaluable. Webster offer e-mail, telephone and fax support; kre is reachable via e-mail. >Thank you very much for your help. We can't afford to make a mistake >with this purchase... Who can? >-- >{ Marc Mazuhelli | professeur } >{ internet: mazu@dmi.USherb.CA | Departement de math-info. } >{ { ... left blank> | Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada } -- Steven Ball, Department of Computer Science, ANU E-mail: steve@anucsd.anu.edu.au Ph. (06) 2495146 Snail-mail: GPO Box 4, CANBERRA CITY ACT 2600, AUSTRALIA He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!