ParNet
34 messages in this thread
Thie issue of Amazing Computer makes reference to "ParNet". What is that? It
doesn't appear to be listed in the winter AC catalog.
I gather that it is some form of network for Amigas, but want to know more
details.
Thanks to any responders..especially those who have experience with the item.
Bill
Bill,
In the AVG (amiga video/graphics) mag current issue #3 there is an
article on networking, with several options discussed. Parnet is one of
them. You can only netwk 2 amigas, and this is done via the parallel port,
you will have to build a special cable, but the cost is minimal. The prgm
and docs are in AmigaUser libr (Utilities I believe). It works well, I
just finished setting it up last nite. I can access the HD on my A3000
from the A600 and access the A600 Hd from the 3000. Great for quick
transfer of files or loading programs.
Hope, this helps.
Chris——>on AP
Chris,
Thanks for the reply. I will check for the magazine and will also download the
software. I didn't think to check in the file index.
Bill
Bill,
Geeze…. fast response. Anyway, you'll find it in AmigaTech forum,
not here in User. It is in Lib 11 system util Pnet24.lzh.
Hope this helps.
CJ
Do both Amigas need to have hard drives for ParNet to work? Or is it possible
to have one machine with HD, and have the other access that machine's HD via
ParNet while itself only having a boot floppy (or maybe two floppy drives)?
Also, is there a pass-through for connecting a parallel printer to one of the
systems? Or are you better off connecting a printer to the serial port?
===Scott
Scott,
Yes, you can have a 1 HD setup and 1 Floppy setup.
No, you can't use the parallel port for anything else, during parnet
operation.
CJ
I've been using a ParNET for about a month.
After using an A500 for a couple of years I decided to upgrade to a A1200.
The A500 had AmigaDOS-2.1, 120MB HardDrive, and 6-megs of RAM. When I
purchasd the A1200, I kept the A500 setup, but couldn't afford a new HD or
more RAM. Instead, I got the ParNET cable.
The ParNET allows two Amigas to access each others devices, using special
software, and a modified parallel cable.
I plugged in the ParNET cable connecting the parallel port of both
Amigas, I then ran the install software on each machine. The A500,
is set to be the "Host", and the A1200 the "client".
Having 2.1 on the A500, and 3.0 on the A1200, I use the WBStartup drawer
to mount the ParNET at bootup.
The ParNET installs a "NET:" device on each Amiga. The "NET:" is
displayed on the Workbench as a "disk" icon named "Network". By clicking
on the icon it opens and displays the Floppy, Hard, & RAM drives of the
other Amiga is drawers icons. Byt opening the drawers you can access the
files of the other Amiga.
On the A500, I would access a JR-Comm with:
DH2:Telcom/JR-Comm
On the A1200, I can access and run the same file on the A1200 with:
NET:dh2/Telcom/JR-Comm.
Not only can the A1200 access the A500's drives, the A500 can access the
A1200 drives. I could be running a A1200 program off the A500's HD, while
my brother is reading a file from my RAM-disk.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
How does this work if one machine is the host? If the 500 can access the
1200 as though it (the 1200) was the host, does that mean they're both
like hosts, or are there differences?
Also, is the parallel cable just a regular bi-directional parallel cable,
or something proprietary?
I've got to get this, anyway – I could use my A500 again! But where is
it? I couldn't find it. Waaaaahhhhh!
Paul
PI: How does this work if one machine is the host? If the 500 can access
the 1200 as though it (the 1200) was the host, does that mean they're both
like hosts, or are there differences?
The same ParNet software is run on both machines including the
parnet.device, netpnet-handler, mouse-handler, and scripts. But one
system is mounted as "NETPNET-SERVER UNIT 1", while the other is
"NETPNET-SERVER UNIT 0".
Each computer can access the other system's devices — as if the other
computer were an intelligent peripheral named "NET", with the other's
devices (RAM-disk, floppies, HD) being subdirectories of NET.
—
PI: Also, is the parallel cable just a regular bi-directional parallel
cable, or something proprietary?
Its not an off the shelf parallel cable. It is a custom cable, but not
proprietary. Most pins are pasted thru, with two of the lines bridged.
Also, the lines that are not suppose to be connected are removed.
Docs were included to create the cable, or convert a standard pre-made
parallel cable into the custom cable.
—
PI: I've got to get this, anyway – I could use my A500 again! But where
is it? I couldn't find it.
I got the software from my local Amiga dealer. Someone in their repair
shop made the cable for me.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
Hi Ron
I also think Parnet is the neatest thing since sliced bread, but there
is a caveat on using two systems to exchange data both ways which you may
have noticed. There is no steering control hardware or protocal to ensure
they don't both try to use the cable simultaneously, as there should be in
a true LAN network. With a little more work ParNet could be a cheaper-net
for our amigas in truth.
As it is now it is still a great introduction to the coming rush to
network the world together, from mainframes to vest pocket PC's that radio
to the nearest desktop to exchange the latest news whenever one comes into
range. It will be an exciting decade.
Tom
I guess if I ever want to run PARNET, I have to give up easy access to my
printer?
-Jonathan
What about a parallel port switch-box?
Paul
In other words, I lose network connectivity or my printer. What if I want
to print something that is accessed on the 'other' computer?
-Jonathan
It's not a perfect world. There should (ideologically, not realistically)
be a solution. But I don't have the product yet (can't wait, parallel
problem notwithstanding, to get it) so I couldn't tell you for sure. I
guess worst case you could copy the file to the computer that has the
printer, then switch the switchbox and print it – stupid, but a
workaround.
Paul
Well, PARNET is a cheap (almost free) solution so I am not going to
complain. There are commercial peer to peer solutions so it's not a big
deal. When a PARNET network goes down, you gotta reboot so if you print,
you have to reboot to establish a net again.. 🙁
-Jonathan
JB: I guess if I ever want to run PARNET, I have to give up easy access to
my printer?
Yes, unless you connect your printer to the serial port.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
OK, I can connect my printer to my serial port, but then I lose my
faxmodem! Soooo… I guess PARNET will not let me use my modem,
postscript printer and network functionality. That is VERY limiting. I
have been reading on Genie about a new product being developed called
AstralNet.. Anyone have any detailed technical info???
-Jonathan
I was going to ask "how often do you use the printer & modem at the same
time", but then realized you said FAXmodem.
Without additional hardware, I've thought of using a switchbox for the
serial port, allowing me to use either the modem or serial printer.
I doubt a parallel switchbox would work, as the ParNET is an active
device. If your computer has two parallel ports (via hack or expansion
card), it might be possible to use one for the printer, and the other for
the parnet.
The old caveat is "you get what you pay for." With ParNET you get an
almost free peer-to-peer network for free, except for the price of the
standard parallel port. You might count the cable, but the instructions
for building it are on the disk.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
What do you mean active device? Packet info is constantly being sent back
and forth so an interruption – as with a switchbox being switched – would
cause problems? That's unfortunate.
Paul
PI: What do you mean active device?
With my setup:
I run FCII on the A1200, off the A500HD across the ParNET cable using the
parallel port. I *assumed* that I would have problems reading a document
file over the parnet/parallel port, and at the same time try to print it
over the same parallel port to a printer — even using a switchbox.
I assumed that at any given moment that the system would find one or the
other (parnet or parallel printer) offline, if I used a switchbox.
The parnet is not constantly being accessed (as far as I can tell), but in
some cases (printing file from parnet:dh1) it may need repeated accesses.
If I were to use a serial printer, I think it would solve this problem,
allowing the system to access both at the same time.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
I'm not going to complain about PARNET.. It is a cheap solution. I think
I would be better off with real Ethernet cards and a 3rd party peer to
peer solution.
-Jonathan
Jonathan,
Hold on! If you are using PARNET then you have two Amigas …. and
therefore two serial ports. I am using PARNET and intend to use my
HP550C on the serial port of my 3000 (as soon as I can get hold of the
appropriate cable) and my ZOOM FaxModem on the serial port of my A2500.
The only thing I am sacrificing is a bit of speed between Amiga and
printer, and I might not even notice that.
Pete Jones, Brussels, Belgium, flying on AutoPilot
That's just it… I have a Postscript printer and the speed differences
between parellel and serial devices is enormous. I'm just gonna have to
get regular ethernet cards and some third party peer to peer solution.
-Jonathan
Gotcha!. Supplementary question, though. How does Apple get over the
speed differences? I have friends with PS laser printers and I don't
hear them complaining. Pete Jones, Brussels, Belgium, flying on
AutoPilot
Laser printers on AppleTalk have serial communication at 57k baud. The
best normal serial communication can do is 19.2k and most printers max out
at 9600.
-Jonathan
Multiple serial and paralell port are rather common on PCs. Seems like CA
should give this some thought too.
RW: Multiple serial and paralell port are rather common on PCs. Seems like
CA should give this some thought too.
You can have multiple serial & parallel ports on the Amiga. Just like
everyone else, you buy a card that offers them.
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasles aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
PCs are often packaged with multiple ports -some by dealers and others
at the factory. The third party addons are rather expensive for
Amigas and I am not sure they are availble for all models.
Have a look at the arXon switchbox for parnet and a printer driver that
supports the arXon switch box. Using the arXon switchbox, the Amiga
printer driver automaticly switches the arXon switchbox to the printer and
back to the net.
So far, all my printer drivers (Studio, Canon, HP, Seikosha, Panasonic)
support the switchbox. In case you have a rare printer, you can use ARexx
or CLI to switch the box automaticly for printing.
The arXon switchbox is very fast and even allows you to connect video
hardware and such critical things…
Here some info from my driver manual (oupps price is ~US$ 120):
All drivers support the arXon parallel switch-box, an external 1
to 3 Centronics switch controllable by software. You can ask the printer
driver to automatically switch to the required port for printing, and
switch back to the previously used port after printing. This enables
you to use a scanner, a digitizer and a printer from your Amiga's
parallel port without having to switch between the devices manually.
If you specify Default as the port, no switching will take place.
Information about the arXon switch-box may be obtained from:
arXon GmbH
Assenheimer Str. 17
D-W-6000 Frankfurt
Germany
Tel: (++49)-69-7896891
Fax: (++49)-69-7896878
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
I've been fooling around with PARNET at the store for the last few days.
It's a pretty nifty piece of work. One of the local people brought me a
disk called "Parbench" which I think was shipped with CDTV. It has a
INSTALLER script which makes setting up parnet a snap. All you have to do
is edit the drive config file. The scripts didn't work under 1.3 though.
What really amazed me was that it worked with our Toaster system. I had a
1200 netted to the Toaster and used Lightwave to render frames to the
1200's HD. I really expected the whole thing to crash & burn. Too bad that
the 1200 didn't have expansion ram, I couldn't get REND24 to convert those
frames to HAM8…. which was the whole idea.
Jim
Paul,
It is in AmigaTech forum lib 11 system utilities, Pnet24.lzh. All
info including cable docs are there.
CJ
Paul,
It sounds like PARNET sets up what is known as a "peer-to-peer" type
network between the two machines. This is quite a popular type of network
scheme for small groups; in the PC world, Lantastic and Novell Lite are
very much used, as is Windoze for Workgroups.
//
\X/ Amiga -Steve ——> On AutoPilot from Silicon Valley