Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu!ejbehr
From: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: More about Mac ARP and Telnet
Message-ID: <1991Jun02.033105.7873@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu>
Date: 2 Jun 91 03:31:05 GMT
Reply-To: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr)
Organization: Central Illinois Surfing Club
Lines: 44

A while ago I posted a desperate question on the format of Hosts file for
MacTCP. I got a few helpful replies - thanks a lot!

Here's what I've found: the problem was not really the Hosts file, but
rather the fact that I was using the BYU modification of NCSA Telnet. BYU
Telnet, as far as I could determine, doesn't use the MacTCP resolver!

I massaged my Hosts file a bit following the hints I received, and it
didn't help. First I suspected our network which is still a bit screwy, so
it took me a while to try changing Telnets - NCSA version worked like a
charm! Trouble is that *if* there is a network problem (can't connect, or
some such), then NCSA variant is much more likely to crash on a small Mac
than the BYU mod (has anyone else experienced this? I don't want to bother
the NCSA developers with unconfirmed bugs).

I remember that there were others who had Hosts file problems. Here's what
works for me (in the meantime, I've read the DNS RFC 1034...)

; I'm on a Mac on an acs network, the main Internet machine is
; rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu = 138.87.1.2

rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu.      A    138.87.1.2
risc.                    CNAME  rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu.
rs6000.                  CNAME  rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu.

; contrary to some advice I got, this seems to work fine, only remember
; the trailing period! it's not shown in the MacTCP manual we have...

; the risc is a root and local nameserver (when it works...)

.                        NS     rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu.
.ilstu.edu.              NS     rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu.

; but since it goes down quite often, let's use a friendly well-connected
; machine nearby for backup - hope they don't mind...

ux1.cso.uiuc.edu         A      128.174.5.50
.                        NS     ux1.cso.uiuc.edu.

; that's it folks. Comments and corrections very welcome.    E.

-- 
Eric Behr, Illinois State University, Mathematics Department
Internet: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu    Bitnet: ebehr@ilstu