What does a Apple Multiport Server NuBus card do?

[eraser]

Does an Apple Multiport Server NuBus card have a practical modern use? Could it be used to change a LocalTalk network into a star topology?

[spiceyokooko]

It adds 4 serial ports? Used for modems on ARA (Apple Remote Access) or I used one (not an Apple one) to run modems on a FirstClass bulletin/email board connected internally to the network.

[eraser]

Could those serial ports be all connected to PhoneNet or LocalTalk boxes? Or would that result in some kind of profound chaos?

[spiceyokooko]

How would you then know which port to communicate AppleTalk through?

I think that would cause some confusion

[Charlieman]

AppleTalk has profound problems determining whether to use ethernet or LocalTalk. In ye olde days, AppleTalk had to use the Printer port and there was no option to change it. AppleTalk cannot even look at a multi serial port board.

In ye olde days, third party manufacturers made boards with multiple serial ports in order to connect Mac IIs running A/UX to serial terminals. It would be interesting for someone running A/UX 1.x to test your card.

[eraser]

How would you then know which port to communicate AppleTalk through?

Well true. I was hoping there was some way I could use it like one of the LocalTalk star switches where every segment of the network could have the full throughput of the port.

I realize that I really asked the wrong question. Instead of using the connections for LocalTalk boxes I was hoping it would be possible to actually network Macs together using Serial->Serial connections. Instead of a peer-to-peer bus network (typical PhoneNet) they would all go through a central workgroup server. It would handle the 'routing.'

The Printer port of all attached Macs would connect to the central WGS (each to a port on the card). They would each see the server as a direct serial connected Mac.

AppleTalk cannot even look at a multi serial port board.

D'OH!

In ye olde days, third party manufacturers made boards with multiple serial ports in order to connect Mac IIs running A/UX to serial terminals. It would be interesting for someone running A/UX 1.x to test your card.

Hmmm ....

[Charlieman]

by eraser » Fri Jun 08, 2012 9:02 pm

Well true. I was hoping there was some way I could use it like one of the LocalTalk star switches where every segment of the network could have the full throughput of the port.

I realize that I really asked the wrong question. Instead of using the connections for LocalTalk boxes I was hoping it would be possible to actually network Macs together using Serial->Serial connections. Instead of a peer-to-peer bus network (typical PhoneNet) they would all go through a central workgroup server. It would handle the 'routing.'

I hate to think about how the Remote Access software would abuse that NuBus card.

The PhoneNet Star controllers (from Farallon and others) had a processor in them so that they functioned more like network routers than bridges.