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From: brian@galileo.uucp (Brian Donnell [PT4])
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: System 7 & AppleTalk Phase II
Keywords: 7.0 AppleTalk EtherTalk Phase II
Message-ID: <1991Jun20.153638.25622@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
Date: 20 Jun 91 15:36:38 GMT
References: <3742@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au>
Sender: brian@krakatoa.jsc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA/Johnson Space Center
Lines: 26

Phase II only applies to EtherTalk protocols.  If your Mac is connected to
your net via LocalTalk lines (through the printer port), you do not need
to worry about Phase II.

However, System 7 Macs connected directly to the Ethernet must use EtherTalk
Phase II protocols.  To communicate with other Macs using LocalTalk, your
LocalTalk/Ethernet gateway (such as a Fastpath) must understand Phase II
EtherTalk.

The big problem is if you have third party Ethernet boards.  I have an 
EtherPort IIN from Shiva, and the EtherTalk drivers for System 7 are still
in beta.  I get crashes so frequently that the card is virtually useless
and I've had to switch my machine back to a LocalTalk connection.  Also,
the current version of MacTCP likes to throw up on me every once in awhile
as well (the truly System 7 compatible MacTCP 1.1 is also still in beta).
I like System 7 - but I think APDA and third part developers have been too
slow on the mark to come out with upgrades (part of it is Apple's fault for
having so many different versions of System 7 during beta).

So right now I'm working without MacTCP or an Ethernet card (sigh...)
If you have Apple's Ethernet board, you should be fine (the EtherTalk drivers
for those cards come with System 7).

Hope this helps -
Brian Donnell
NASA/JSC