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From: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re: Appletalk Bridge/Routing Inefficiency?
Message-ID: <899@smurf.ira.uka.de>
Date: 8 Apr 89 20:55:28 GMT
References: <2224@aecom.YU.EDU> <307@wcc.oz> <1516@ccnysci.UUCP>
Reply-To: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs)
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Lines: 34

In comp.protocols.appletalk alexis@ccnysci.UUCP (Alexis Rosen) writes:
< 
< Liason 2.0, from InfoSphere, ships with a little INIT called Network Tuner.
< I'm not 100% sure what this thing does (it's about 2K, as I recall), but I
< distinctly had the impression that it was designed to improve usage of
< bridges and routers by regular nodes. Perhaps this does what Paul suggested?

This INIT should be installed on Macs which want to communicate over an
async/modem line but don't run Liaison (which includes it).
Basically, ATP timeout which work splendidly for "normal" AppleTalk
are much too short for modem use. You get a retry request halfway through the
answering packet and this results in 2-3 times lowered throughput at best,
and breaking longish file transfers (or Timbuktu screen updates :-) at worst.
I have written such an INIT myself; it's pretty trivial to do.

Q: I don't have seen Liaison 2.0 yet, what does it do (in addition to 1.0.1)?

PS: Timbuktu works over a 2400-Baud Liaison line pretty well (and pretty slow,
but well, such is life). Just three hints:
- Do use a normal pattern as Desktop background, and not a picture.
  Otherwise, every time a teeny bit of desktop needs to be updated,
  Liaison sends the whole picture...
- Disable broadcasts and (more important) sending screen bit changes
  unless you want to run MacPaint 1.x or Hypercard. (Hint: You don't want to.)
- Avoid Timbuktu'ing to the host Liaison is running under. Reason:
  Liaison blinks a little arrow under the Apple in the menu bar, which
  generates lots of network traffic and prolongs the already too-big lag
  between your actions and the usr interface reaction. :-(
PPS:Did you know that Timbuktu is saving the bits under a menu on the
    observing machine too? Without that feature, I wouldn't dream of using it
    over less than 9600 Baud.
-- 
Matthias Urlichs -- Humboldtstrasse 7 -- 7500 Karlsruhe 1 -- FRG
urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de -- ++49+721-621127@PTT