|
Grex > Micros > #163: 1 Hard Drive/ 2 computers. Is it possible? | |
|
| Author |
Message |
omni
|
|
1 Hard Drive/ 2 computers. Is it possible?
| 
Apr 20 06:13 UTC 1997 |
I have a question. I would like to be able to share a hard drive between
2 machines.
I have one in the basement using floppies and System 6.8, and of course
I have the main one in the upstairs using System 7. The reason I would like
to access my hard drive from the basement is that all of my printing is done
in the basement, simply because I don't have room for the printer upstairs.
Is there a cable I can make that would allow this?
How can I make a network as cheaply as possible?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
|
| 26 responses total. |
arthurp
|
|
response 1 of 26:
|
Apr 20 18:56 UTC 1997 |
I have my two machines hooked up with a null modem ppp link in linux. I
haven't tried to hook the dos side yet. Depending on what level of fruit you
have there is some kind of appletalk network thing that uses phone wire. I'm
sure you can connect them. SOmeone here will know. :)
|
scg
|
|
response 2 of 26:
|
Apr 20 19:01 UTC 1997 |
Since they're both Macs, you could use localtalk. It's somewhat slow, but
will work with some rather cheap hardware going through the printer cable.
You could even then put the printer on the network, if it's the right kind
of printer.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 3 of 26:
|
Apr 20 20:01 UTC 1997 |
I have two Macs and an AppleTalk printer linked via AppleTalk and PhoneNet
adapters on the printer ports of the Macs. Standard 4-wire phone (RJ-11)
cable connects it all together. The adapters cost ca. $10. Its a 'breeze'
with Macs.
|
omni
|
|
response 4 of 26:
|
Apr 20 21:15 UTC 1997 |
The Printer is an Imagewriter II. Where is this hardware available?
|
n8nxf
|
|
response 5 of 26:
|
Apr 21 02:05 UTC 1997 |
For the ImageWriter to work on an AppleTalk network, it must have the
AppleTalk hardware option installed. I got PhoneNet and AppleTalk
boxes at PD for $2.50 ea. AppleTalk and PhoneNet cables for $1 ea.
(I had to make my own PhoneNet terminators [120 ohm]) I even have
PhoneNet and AppleTalk boxes intermixed in the same network. AppleTalk
is eaiser because you don't have to worry about terminators: AppleTalk
boxes self-terminate. PhoneNet is cheaper (Except at PD) but you need
to physicaly install terminators at each end. I've never tried it, but
you may even be able to use your house telephone wiring for a PhoneNet
network since PhoneNet use only the outer (blk & yel) wires of the phone
line.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 6 of 26:
|
Apr 21 05:14 UTC 1997 |
I thought AppleTalk was the protocol, and the hardware choices were
PhoneNet and LocalTalk, the latter essentially obsolete because of the
expensive cable connectors. I suppose Apple makes some of the adapters,
but I've never used those. Mine are a mix of off brands and 'no names'.
Obsolete Deskwriter inkjets have an AppleTlak interface, and are very
cheap. I really recommend getting a inkjet as it it vastly more versatile
than a dot-matrix like the Imagewriter.
|
n8nxf
|
|
response 7 of 26:
|
Apr 21 13:59 UTC 1997 |
That makes sense about AppleTalk being the protocol. The stuff from PD
doesn't come with manuals. I have 5 antique Macs, an IW-II (For the kids
CAD scribbles and drafts) and an HP-DeskWriter 500 on an AppleTalk network.
The machines run OS 6.0.8, 7.1 & 7.5. Works great, easy to set up and
maintain. The cheapest net, however, is the trusty Sneaker Net.
|
oddie
|
|
response 8 of 26:
|
Feb 17 04:44 UTC 2000 |
(this is an old item, but still...) How does PhoneNet get by using only the
black and yellow wires of the phone cable? I would have thought you'd need
either 4 wires (two balanced pairs) or 3 wires (ground and two signals...)
|
scg
|
|
response 9 of 26:
|
Feb 17 06:15 UTC 2000 |
I don't have the spec in front of me, but my guess is that Phone Net is like
ethernet -- a broadcast network in which only one computer can transmit at
a time. With ehternet, if two devices transmit at the same time you get a
collision, in which case both packets are lost, and the ethernet cards back
off and try again.
|
wlevak
|
|
response 10 of 26:
|
Feb 18 02:46 UTC 2000 |
Appletalk is a 56K serial protocol. You only need two wires to connect. With
more than two computers, you need to worry about terminaation. With two
computers, it doesn't matter. You can just connect them together with
standard phone cord. If you don't have phone type connectors, you will need
an adapter. Once the computers are connected, turn on sharing on the one you
want to be the server.
|
oddie
|
|
response 11 of 26:
|
Feb 18 03:54 UTC 2000 |
OK, next question (some have probably already seen this in the diy conf):
we have two pairs of phone wires in the house that are connected to the nij
panel but are dead (either just because we don't pay for them or because
they are disconnected on the phone co. side of the nij). Would it be wise to
disconnect them before running LocalTalk over them?
(re 10: you can also run AppleTalk between two machines using a standard
printer cable--at least, it seemed to work for me...)
|
rcurl
|
|
response 12 of 26:
|
Feb 18 07:20 UTC 2000 |
Disconnect them! You don't need a radio (or lightning) antenna on your
netowrk.
|
n8nxf
|
|
response 13 of 26:
|
Feb 18 12:59 UTC 2000 |
I'm going to connect mine. Then will cross connect it with the neighbors such
that we can have "NeighborhoodAppleTalk"
|
rcurl
|
|
response 14 of 26:
|
Feb 18 18:11 UTC 2000 |
I presume you will disconnect it from the line to the exchange?
|
wlevak
|
|
response 15 of 26:
|
Feb 21 04:11 UTC 2000 |
You don't want extra cable connected. It will degrade the signal, especially
if you have not properly terminated the appletalk. There is also a 1000 foot
limit on the total cable length.
|
oddie
|
|
response 16 of 26:
|
Feb 21 06:19 UTC 2000 |
I was pretty sure it would be best to disconnect them...the only other problem
is that we for some unexplained reason have *two* nij panels, the other of
which is up on the roof, curse it...
What's the terminating resistor value for AppleTalk?
|
n8nxf
|
|
response 17 of 26:
|
Feb 21 13:26 UTC 2000 |
Yea, I'd leave the exchange disconnected. I think it's 240 ohms.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 18 of 26:
|
Feb 21 17:00 UTC 2000 |
The ones I have are 120 ohms.
|
wlevak
|
|
response 19 of 26:
|
Feb 22 01:05 UTC 2000 |
I think the terminator value depends on the configuration and the type of wire
used. I don't have detailed information, but you won't do any damage by
experimenting. As I said above, if you keep it to a small system and keep
the wire as short as possible, it probably doesn't matter.
I have seen 4 computers and two printers connected with out terminators, with
no problems. I have also seen one computer and one printer comnnected that
would not work without the terminator. I all depends on the equipment and
the situation.
|
n8nxf
|
|
response 20 of 26:
|
Feb 23 11:28 UTC 2000 |
I could well be 120 ohms.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 21 of 26:
|
Feb 24 02:18 UTC 2000 |
brown, red, brown...
|
oddie
|
|
response 22 of 26:
|
Feb 25 05:20 UTC 2000 |
When I finally get around to doing this I'll probably try it first without
terminators, and add them if it doesn't work.
Unrelated question: is there a way to configure a modem so that it won't
disconnect when somebody picks up a phone on another extension?
|
scott
|
|
response 23 of 26:
|
Feb 25 15:24 UTC 2000 |
There's often a setting in the S registersfor how long to wait if the carrier
is interrupted. Dunno if you need both modems to have a high setting.
|
oddie
|
|
response 24 of 26:
|
Feb 26 05:08 UTC 2000 |
The book for the TelePort Gold modem says that register S10 is the delay in
tenths of a second between losing the carrier signal and hanging up, but I
don't know if that will help. It seems that I want a setting that gives it
time to recover from an interruption in the signal, rather than one that just
tells it to wait for a longer time before hanging up. But I may have
misinterpreted what the book said, so I may as well try it.
|