Xref: utzoo comp.sys.att:8241 comp.unix.i386:1679
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!ucsdhub!cuuxun!cuuxb!fmcgee
From: fmcgee@cuuxb.ATT.COM (~XT6561110~Frank McGee~C23~L25~6326~)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: More trouble with the 6386/StarLAN-10
Summary: look in the phone book
Keywords: System V, 6386, StarLAN, aaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh
Message-ID: <4357@cuuxb.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Dec 89 21:56:40 GMT
Expires: 1 Jan 90 00:00:00 GMT
References: <1989Dec7.044257.14603@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
Reply-To: fmcgee@cuuxb.UUCP (Frank W. McGee)
Followup-To: comp.sys.att
Organization: AT&T Computer Systems, Lisle, IL
Lines: 44

In article <1989Dec7.044257.14603@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> davisp@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (Palmer Davis) writes:

[ lots of stuff about how hard it is to deal with AT&T deleted ]

>Okay, folks... how do *YOU* deal with AT&T?  I know *somebody* has to have
>an easier time getting them to sell you their products than I've had, but I'm
>about at the end of my rope with them.  Even better -- does anybody know a 
>compatible third-party package so that I can avoid having to deal with getting
>bounced around AT&T again?

Did you ever think to look in the phone book ?

Between A T P Business Systems and ATT Millwrite Contractors in my
phone book (white pages) there is a large entry of AT&T entities.  One
of them is "Computers & Peripherals (toll free)".  Sounds pretty
simple to me.  The number is 1-800-247-1212.  If you call them they'll
ask for your zip code (or some other nonsense to identify where you
live) and they'll tell you who your nearest VAR is.  The VAR will know
exactly what you are talking about, will probably give you a better
price than if you went to AT&T directly, and will probably get it for
you in a few weeks instead of in a few months.

Incidentally, all the organizations you were forwarded through had
nothing to do with end-user sales, and had no way of placing an order
for you even if they did happen to know what you were talking about.
The exception is the NPSC, which can place orders for PARTS.  BUT when
you order from them, it's assumed you already HAVE THE PRODUCT and are
ordering a REPLACEMENT COMPONENT.  For instance, if you ordered the
network program by COMCODE (ie, part number), all you would get is a
couple of diskettes.  No manuals.  No diagnostics.  Just replacement
media.

As for third party, none exists for Starlan.  However, Locus has a
product that will run over the 10 MB hardware, it's called PC
Interface.  That's about the only third party I'm aware of, and there
are a lot of dependencies in their product (ie, it won't run on MSDOS
clients above MSDOS 3.1).  Also, it may not provide a Transport Level
Interface (TLI) suitable for running RFS, UUCP, or other applications
over.

-- 
Frank McGee, AT&T
Tier 3 Complementary Channel Sales Support
attmail!fmcgee