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From: bell@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Mike Bell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: How to link AppleTalk to EtherNet
Message-ID: <8392@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: 27 Feb 89 01:04:25 GMT
References: <15036@cup.portal.com>
Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu
Reply-To: bell@eniac.seas.upenn.edu.UUCP (Mike Bell)
Organization: University of Pennsylvania
Lines: 57

In article <15036@cup.portal.com> drew@cup.portal.com (Andrew E Wade) writes:
>Does anyone know any good ways to link AppleTalk (Macintosh LAN) to
>EtherNet (e.g., Suns, etc., running with NFS, etc.)?  We use Macs
>for mktng, admin, finance, etc., but for sw development we use Suns
>and similar workstations.  Major problem is email; file transfer is
>also useful.
>
>There are three ways I know:  (1)  String a serial cable from each Mac to
>some Sun serial port.  Then, the Mac can use a terminal emulation program
>(we use Red Ryder) to log onto sun, then use mail, transfer files with
>xmodem or kermit or just ascii into vi, etc.  Works fine except for:
>need to string cables and availability of sun ports; mail arrival is
>not signaled to Mac user unless he explicitly brings up Red Ryder and
>checks.  Does anyone know of fix for this mail notification?  Maybe there's
>a little program that could run (desk accessory?) and periodically check
>mail?
>
>(2) NetSerial, a box which sits on AppleTalk, shared by all Mac's (one at
>a time), and acts like a serial port.  It can be connected to a Sun
>serial port, and then the Macs can log into Unix as remote terminal,
>just as in (1) above.  Advantage:  no need to string serial wires.
>Disadvantage:  Limited resource (only one Mac can use NetSerial at a time,
>so Mac user might have to wait in line to read/send email, which is a real
>pain!); same other problem as above:  no notification to Mac user of
>arrival of mail.
>
>(3) GatorBox and Kinetics boxes.  Expensive.  I haven't looked into them
>in detail or heard references.



  A better solution is a program called Liason. Besides providing dial in accessto a network, it also acts as a router; it bridges your ethernet and appletalk
networks. I fact , it will let you hook a network up to your printer port as  
well as your modem port. I have been using it for some time now with no 
problems.



				Mike



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