Amiga to PC LAN
30 messages in this thread
Anyone had any experience LANing Amigas and PCs? I'm currently
running ENLAN between my Amigas but would like to drop in a PC.
Mostly for disk sharing. Full access would be nice but even a batch
mode transfer would save me money in the long run.
lGlamb lglamb+RV13@rvdc.unisys.com
CTOS Data Comm Support
I've got a Novell 2.15c LAN here, using Oxxi's Novell Client and all is
working well. This is the expensive way to go, though. I know nothing
about ENLAN. Tell me more?
ENLAN is a DEC compatible product from Interworks. Runs over the CBM
ethernet boards and costs around $200 for a 5 node license.
It's been working fine for me in a pure Amiga setting but I don't know of
anything I could tie into on the MSDOS side.
Agree, the Oxxi/Novell solution is a bit costly for my purposes.
I've been hoping someone had experience with a TCP/IP package.
lGlamb lglamb+RV13@rvdc.unisys.com
CTOS Data Comm Support
Well, Novell=Lots of $$$ any way you slice it.
Also, getting a Non-PC to work on a Novell network is one heck of a job
any way you slice it. So they probably _have_ to charge mucho dinero to
recoup their costs.
I'm not sure if ENLAN is "DECNET compatible" or a DECNET derivative,
though. Interworks would have to let us know. I do wish that they had
written it to be SANA compliant though. That way, as soon as a SANA driver
came available for PCMCIA ethernet cards, an A1200 or A600 could be put
on-line….
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
Getting a non-PC to work on Novell isn't that hard – the Mac and Amiga
solutions work very well, and Unix is now hooked in, too. Granted you may
never see CPM systems on Novell, but they can be 'served' via dialups and
communications servers… And there are gateways to DEC, etc.
IMHO, the biggest problem is the lack of standards that apply to most, if
not all machines. to change your quote: Workable Networking=$$$ any way
you slice it…
Gordon;
While the Novell, Banyan Vines folks and the like, sound their trumpets
they all spend most of their effort in one of two areas: First, they
attempt to achieve the functionality of Unix network services and second,
they try to be sure that no one can get on their network without paying
through the nose!
The problem with comparing the junk offerings with Unix is that their is a
fundamental design conflict. Unix networking is truly "open" design. The
original intention and continuing efforts are toward machine independent
network services. Hugh resources world wide are directed toward that
effort. The efforts of Novell and the like are to control the world's
networking environments.
I don't have a problem with the idea of profit but I do object to those
that will try to destroy what amounts to a magnificant achievement where
the aim is not a better system but rather a more expensive one.
I tend to equate Novell's efforts to the sort of behaviour that Apple used
to try to claim right to something that was a gift to mankind.
-bill
I wish I had more TCP/IP expereince. I'm running ARCNet boards here, but
looking into Ethernet for the TCP/IP connections. I don't really have any
need, just desire for the time being. At some point, though, I'd like to
hook up a Unix machine to the net, and that will most likely be through
TCP/IP packages…
Thanks for the info – I may check it out for some clients adding more than
one Amiga to their businesses…
Well, If you get Novell 3.11(or above), TCP/IP is included. you have to
load it from the server console (ie, load tcpmon)
Tony
But NFS isn't. It's a high cost option….
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
NFS is a high cost option?! What system? What vendor? Thats awful!
Happy Holidays
-bill
Novell charges a lot for the software for their PC servers that lets them
handle NFS…
John,
I think the '.' could go just as well after the word "servers"
Networking is expensive except on Macs. 🙂
John,
I think the price of expensive netwroking is built in to the Macs.
John;
Yes, I've noticed! It will be real interesting to see what happens to
Unix now that Novell is controlling.
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
-bill
Ah, but novell doesn't control unix. No more than C= controls it. Too many
people out there hacking things onto unix for that to happen.
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
Lets just hope it stays that way! How awful if it should become a closed
wholely proprietary system.
-bill
It "controls" (or will control, I guess) it to a greater extent than
Commodore. Novell just signed a letter of intent to buy AT&T's share of
USL.
Steve
I heard about that buy-out, too – quite interesting! Do you think this
means Novell will give up on its own network technology, and adopt
something more universal? 🙂
John;
If your product was the number one PC networking product, would you dump
it?
-bill
I bet the first thing that happens is that Novell drivers go into ESMP
(which should be available in a year or so).
Steve
Steve;
I realize that I'm probably marking myself as a real LAN dult but what is
ESMP?
-bill
Novell, of course. They provide TCP/IP — mostly so you can use routers
and hubs with SNMP agents (for LAN management), but if you want to use
NFS, you must pay for the priveledge.
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
Happy Holidays Brian,
-bill
Thanks, and the same for you,
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
How much is Oxxi's Novell Client software?
-Jerry Thompson
Truevision Developer Marketing
Currently Oxxi is the only place you can get it, and they sell on a per
Amiga node connecting to the network basis. That is, you must purchase a
key for each concurrent Amiga connection to the Novell server. Pricing
when I bought mine was $199 for a single node. The schedule is as follows
(from Oxxi's summer/fall 1992 UPDATE):
5 Amiga clients – $499
10 for $899
20 for $1299
50 for $1799
100 for $2999
I bought the single because I only have one Amiga to hook into the net…
Wish there was a decent solution for the 500/600/1200 on the network –
like an Arcnet or Ethernet board for them… They'd make great little
workstations, which is where I believe the Amiga should be heading. The
other short-coming is the software not being network-aware…
Well my thought on this and I don't know is I wonder if you could use one
of the new PICMIA cards for a PC in the Amiga PCMIA (whatever those letters
are) slot. If you can then you have just about any network interface that
you would want. Anyone have an idea on this?
Frank,
As soon as some drivers get written for those PCMCIA cards, things will
work as you suggest.
Thanks Gordon. I was hoping for a price schedule along the lines of
>5 Amiga clients – $499
>10 for $899
>20 for $1299
>50 for $1799
>100 for $2999
1 node for people who just have one Amiga that they want to connect to
their network at work but their employer won't buy them a copy because it
is not an officially supported system by the MIS dept.: $29
-Jerry Thompson