Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!rochester!udel!mmdf From: "kosma@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM"@alan.kahuna.decnet.lockheed.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga networking puzzle Message-ID: <16281@louie.udel.EDU> Date: 26 May 89 04:50:16 GMT Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU Lines: 39 Received: from BLAISE.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM by ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM via CHAOS with CHAOS-MAIL id 23590; Thu 25-May-89 15:49:42 PDT Date: Thu, 25 May 89 15:48 PDT From: Montgomery Kosma Subject: Re: Amiga networking puzzle To: "eagle::amiga-relay%udel.edu"@KAHUNA.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM In-Reply-To: Your message of 25 May 89 13:55 PDT Message-ID: <19890525224849.5.KOSMA@BLAISE.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM> In message <88G002rZ2c1g01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> Dave Lowrey You need a little known device called an "A-B-C switch". It lets you switch the printer to whatever system needs it. I would be a bit more cautious than simply hooking up a switcher to the laser printer. Not that I know lots about Mics, MS-Dogs, Amigas, postscript, OR laser printers, but I used (thankfully for a short time only) a set up where a Mac (on AppleTalk) and a Symbolics network (on IP-TCP) were sharing a switched laser printer. Each network had a different connection to the printer (it was an Apple Laser Writer), one on appletalk and the other a 9600 baud rs232. As well as having different connectors, a switch on the back of the printer had to be flipped. Even with the right connectors and switches on the printer's end, the real problem was occuring in the Symbolics software. I don't think that the apple had any trouble with the printer, but I'm not sure. In fact, with an ibm/mac/amiga setup, each system may be simple (at least relative to sharing between the TCP network and appletalk) enough to share the printer without too much software hassle. The main problem with the symbolics software was that it made assumptions about the printer's availability and such, and often required power-cycling the printer when switching, and sometimes even rebooting the printer server workstation (a rather drastic measure just to print a file. . .most of the time it was easier not to print anything). Not to say it can't be done, because it *should* be as simple as a switchbox. Considering the operating systems of the three machines, it should be no trouble. I just wanted to caution you before going out and assuming it's all going to work smoothly that perhaps you ought to check first with someone who's done it or who can verify that it will work. Monty Kosma