Cannot Get Localtalk Working! Driving Me Crazy!

[Paralel]

I'm running OT 1.2 with Appleshare Client 3.7.2 on a PB 540c hooked up through the serial/modem port, and I'm trying to get it to talk to a Classic II using Classic Networking/MacTCP 2.0.6 with Appleshare Workstation 3.5 hooked up through the printer port (I've also tried the modem port, no dice). The connection between the two serial ports is just a simple DIN 8 serial cable.

I have the OT 1.2 system set to MacIP Server in TCP/IP. and I have the MacTCP system set to Server with the Gateway as 0.0.0.0

No matter what I do, using the built in sharing software, they don't see one another. All I want to do is share files between the two.

Is this setup fundamentally incompatible or am I doing something wrong?

 

[TheIanMan85]

Shouldbe pretty simple getting one to connect to the other. Make sure AppleTalk is active in both Mac's Chooser. Double-check that both have the correct network connection selected. If sharing is turned on with one, it should then show up in the other's Chooser. Since we're just doing plain ol' LocalTalk updating clients shouldn't matter. That's only important if we need to talk to much newer Macs, or get on the WWW. Correct me if I'm wrong on anything, of course...

That's the best advice I've got to start with before we get real geeky.

EDIT: What system versions do you have on the 540c and Classic II?

 

[Paralel]

They're both running System Z-7.1.1 & Finder 7.1.4

 

[Paralel]

I just went ahead and updated the Classic II to match the PB with OT. Hopefully that will make it easier.

However, at the moment, it doesn't matter. My Classic II might have just gone belly up. xx(

 

[Paralel]

I managed to resuscitate the Classic II.

They're now both running the exact same version of OT, Appleshare, etc... and THEY STILL WON'T TALK TO ONE ANOTHER! Argh! This shouldn't be so difficult!

If I don't assign a user defined address in the AppleTalk Control Panel then they don't have one. If I do assign one, different node #, same network #, they show themselves in the File Server windows under Appleshare in the Chooser, but not each other.

Any help is appreciated before I check them both out the window!

 

[Paralel]

Now I've reverted them both back to Classic Networking and I'm still in the same place. Ugh. I can't imagine what I am doing wrong.

 

[Paralel]

I reinstalled OT on both machines, but now when the PB 540c boots and tries to load the Shared Library Manager, I get an "Unimplemented Trap" bomb.

 

[Paralel]

I got past the boot bomb, turns out it was a corrupted preference. However, they still aren't talking. For some reason they both want the node 1, network 0 assignment. When I try to change it on either one I get an Appletalk "Unimplemented Trap" bomb.

 

[Paralel]

Okay, I think I know what the problem is. The OT piece "Shared Library Manager" isn't loading at boot, despite being in the extensions folder. Apparently when I installed OT the "ASLM (I'm assuming this is Apple Shared Library Manager) Resource" and "Network Resource" didn't get incorporated into where they belong, so the SLM extension isn't being loaded. Does anyone know where the ASLM Resource & Network Resource need to be incorporated in order to load the SLM extension? I figured I can just incorporate it manually using ResEdit.

Any assistance is appreciated.

 

[NJRoadfan]

Zap the PRAM on both machines. My beige G3 would occasionally not see Appletalk resources because something was "off" with the Appletalk settings that wasn't obvious. The Appletalk protocol is self discovering and self configuring, it should literally be plug and play. Also ditch the MacIP server, you don't need it for file sharing. If its that virtual machine, netatalk running on the *NIX box in "no zone" mode can cause strange problems. Open Transport is completely optional, the classic networking in 7.1 should work fine for this.

 

[Paralel]

Hmm, PRAM. Never would have thought of that. It's worth a shot.

Yeah, I figured it shouldn't be nearly this difficult. I remember years ago I did it with a bunch of power macs and it was pretty much plug and play, as you mentioned.

At this point sneakernet would have been less time and effort...

 

[beachycove]

Try the connection between another machine and each of the ones you are working with. This should help to isolate the problem.

It could be hardware-related, too. As a first step, you could spray some contact cleaner into the ports and cable ends — couldn't do any harm, and might do some good. Deeper down, there may be a problem with the power supplied to the ports and cables, since, after all, there needs to be current running down the wires.

 

[CelGen]

Why are you trying to run Open Transport? Localtalk does not require any additional extensions besides Sharing Setup, Sharing, AppleTalk and possibly the INIT for an ethernet card if you aren't working over serial.

Should be as simple as opening the Sharing Setup panel, setting the machine name and password, flipping on File Sharing and refreshing the chooser window on the other system.

Edited: just noticed you are on 7.1. If I recall the control panel arrangement was different but you should at least have a Networking panel.

 

[Paralel]

I finally just gave up and sneakerneted my files.

 

[gsteemso]

Sounds to me like you're using the wrong flavour of serial cable. Mac serial cables come in two varieties.

The older kind, which I believe may have been used for the original ImageWriter printer (not the II), are straight through, and are not much use because connecting pin 1 to pin 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, and so on means the drivers are connected to their counterparts instead of to the opposite receivers and the receivers are connected to their counterparts instead of to the opposite drivers, thus defeating the purpose of using RS-422 ports (same at both ends) instead of the, in 1984 more common, RS-232 (distinguishes upstream ports from downstream ports, hence the existence of null-modem cables to connect two upstream ports directly and why Macs never needed them).

Then there's the more usual kind of cable, which has the transmit pins at each end wired up to the receive pins at the other end. This latter kind is what you should be using, but if you were accidentally using the straight-through kind you would see exactly the results you saw, and possibly damage your serial ports into the bargain due to duelling line drivers.

The two kinds of cable are only distinguishable with an ohmmeter and at least three very steady hands, which was incredibly bad planning on Apple's part. You'd think they would have at least marked them somehow.

I apologize for not answering this before you threw in the towel. I would have if I'd bothered to actually read it at the time.

 

[Paralel]

Sounds like that is probably the issue I ran into to. Guess buying that cable was a waste.