Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!agate!ucbvax!hoptoad!tim
From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re: Enhanced LocalTalk (was: Mac Booster Modules) [long]
Message-ID: <9387@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: 24 Dec 89 01:26:28 GMT
References: <6662@imag.imag.fr> <24772@cup.portal.com> <9241@hoptoad.uucp> <9342@hoptoad.uucp> <536@wcc.oz> <447@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Reply-To: tim@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
Organization: Eclectic Software, San Francisco
Lines: 39

In article <447@watserv1.waterloo.edu> psych@watserv1.waterloo.edu
(R.Crispin - Psychology) writes:
>We purchased Flashtalk boxes for our student network (10 machines) after
>experiencing success with only 2 stations equiped with them. Increaseing
>the number of equiped stations to 3 basically stopped the network altogether.
>We talked to the people at TOPS and have tried everything they suggested
>and nothing has worked. The fastest packet throughput is on the slow machines.

Very weird.  They have been tested with far more than ten machines.
Have you checked to see if one of them is bad, or if the problems stop
when a particular Mac is taken out of the network?  Are you using any
routers, bridges, gateways, concentrators, etc., that might be
misbehaving with FlashTalk?

>We are (after 10 months of trying) giving up on them. They have been a 
>waste of $1,800. I am hoping to be able to get some or all our money back.
>I wouldn't advise anyone to buy these. The DaynaTalk boxes at least do 
>collision checking and may be better than FlashTalk.

FlashTalk does do collision checking.  It's Localtalk that can't tell
if a higher-speed packet is already using the bus.  I would imagine
that DaynaTalk has the same problem; I don't see how a higher-speed
packet can be detected by an unmodified Mac.  Anyone have any solid
information on this?

I want to make it clear that I mostly agree with Richard's conclusion;
from the start (that is, when the product was released and TOPS began
their deceptive advertising campaign for it), I've been pointing out
that the actual speed benefits are considerably less than a factor of
three, and overall, are unlikely to be apparent to many users.  The
boxes are clearly overpriced for the benefits, and I don't recommend
their purchase.  When I seem to be defending them here, it's only
because seemingly questionable statements are being made.
-- 
Tim Maroney, Mac Software Consultant, sun!hoptoad!tim, tim@toad.com

"Something was badly amiss with the spiritual life of the planet, thought
 Gibreel Farishta.  Too many demons inside people claiming to believe in
 God." -- Salman Rushdie, THE SATANIC VERSES