Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!hydroplane.cis.ohio-state.edu!thitt
From: thitt@hydroplane.cis.ohio-state.edu (Todd A Hitt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: VAX--Ethernet--Mac
Message-ID: <50928@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 3 Jun 89 17:41:04 GMT
References: <433@mtk.UUCP>
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: Todd A Hitt <thitt@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Battelle Columbus
Lines: 41

In article <433@mtk.UUCP> marmar@mtk.UUCP (Mark Martino) writes:
>We have a Mac SE here.  We also have quite a few IBM PC clones connected
>to our VAX 8250 via Ethernet.  The PCs are running DECnet 2.0.  I would
>like to connect the Mac to the VAX by using the same Ethernet network.
>
>I talked to DEC about this and they said they had no product for this
>as yet.  They expected to be able to do this by July of this year.
>I'd like to connect sooner than that.  Does anyone know if there is a
>third party product that will allow me to do this?
>
>I tried calling Apple using the developer phone number and could not
>get through.  This upset me, but that's another article.

I would recommend you check out Community-Mac from Technology Concepts.
They provide DECnet for the Macintosh (phase IV).  Included applications
include Mail, network file copy, a FAL, and file serving using PCSA or their
own (provided) file server.  Community-Mac only works over Ethernet or
DDCMP.

Another product is TSSnet from Alisa Systems.  It provides Mail, network file
copy, and a FAL on the Macintosh.  It does not support a file server - thus
you can't "mount" a VMS directory.  Their product works over Ethernet, DDCMP,
or LocalTalk, provided you have a FastPath 4 and the required Kinetics
software.

I have had experience with both these products, and there are trade-offs.
I prefer Community-Mac.  It seems more user friendly and I love the file
server.  You can also disable the FAL.  TSSnet has fewer features but does
seem more solid.  As far as costs go, TSSnet is about $500 with 90-day
maintenance included.  Maintenance is $250 per year.  Community-Mac is also
$500 dollars - although you can buy licenses for subsequent machines at
$350.  No maintenance is included, but their price for maintanence is $60
per year (which I think is much more reasonable).

Of course you can always wait for DEC.

Todd Hitt
All opinions are my own and not my employer's.

hitt%36.114@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
thitt@cis.ohio-state.edu