Xref: utzoo comp.os.vms:11851 comp.sys.ibm.pc:24627
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!icus!limbic!gil
From: gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: DecNetDos
Summary: DECnet-DOS and Novell don't like each other?
Message-ID: <458@limbic.UUCP>
Date: 13 Feb 89 04:30:50 GMT
References: <2046@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>
Reply-To: gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.)
Followup-To: comp.os.vms
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Islip, NY
Lines: 38

In article <2046@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> obb130t@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes:
>We understand that if we use DecNetDos running on a PC on the Novell net,
>it can be connected by asynchronous line to the MONET (which can be taken
>to behave as a fast bit of wire, we hope) and thence into a VAX and DecNet.
>Ethernet, Austpac and other fancy solutions seem to be ruled out by cost.
>The PC can then (with a modest amount of programming) act as a primitive 
>gateway, automatically copying files left in agreed directories from one
>net to the other.

I've tried to use DECnet-DOS and Novell on the same ethernet controller
on a PC, and they didn't like each other.  This won't work.  I haven't
tried it with async DECnet (it sounds like it might work).

For other than this config, DECnet-DOS worked really well.  There's
folks at a site I do a lot of work for that use it constantly.  They're
using the SETHOST facility as a VAX terminal, the NFT program to transfer
files (likely what you will use), they have several "remote" disks, and
I have used it to transfer VMS files to messy-dos diskettes for reading
on my UNIX-based machine at home (via FAL, I actually directly accessed
MS-DOS floppies directly from a MicroVAX).  This has all been via ethernet
links, but I've seen OK performance on a 9600 baud async line (for file
transfers).

The only bug I've seen (and two different bugs in the same thing in
two different versions of DECnet-DOS):  when you try to SETHOST via
LAT to a password-protected service on a terminal server, SETHOST
chokes on accepting the password.  I haven't been able to figure out
why yet, nor have I notified DEC simply because we don't use it
for that.  If someone's gotten this to work, let me know (please!).

I've never done any programming using DECnet-DOS with the C-programming
interface.  I try to keep to my VAXen and leave the PCs alone! ;-)

-------
Gil Kloepfer, Jr.          U-Net: {decuac,boulder,talcott,sbcs}!icus!limbic!gil
ICUS Software Systems      Voice: (516) 968-6860 [H]   (516) 746-2350 x219 [W]
P.O. Box 1                 Internet:  gil@icus.islp.ny.us
Islip Terrace, NY  11752   "Life's a ...  well, you know..."