EtherWave Mac/PB Adapter and Classic Mac

[mactjaap]

I recenty bought a EtherWave Mac/PB Adapter and would like to connect my old school Mac's to the Internet. I have seen some posting that these devices support TCP/IP. Is there someone out there who has a manual? Or an idea how to do this?

I got it working for LocalTalk. Not easy because I first had to solder a cap out and change it!

This is the device:

http://atomictoasters.com/2010/12/guerrilla-networking-i-farallon-etherwave-for-macs/

 

[Mk.558]

Now that is an interesting question.

http://lowendmac.com/network/bridge.shtml

I am not sure myself. However, if you have a Mac that can boot OS X 10.2, and another than runs 10.3 or 10.4, you can find out pretty easily if they do. Either that adapter will work just like a regular AFP bridge or it will function like a FastPath 5 TCP/IP router, which I doubt but until I get reports that it does in fact then I'll remain skeptical.

You'll also need a driver for it. I'm not sure if it will work with OT systems -- you'll have to find out if that is the case.

 

[frankblues]

Check out this link for the drivers:

http://www.markyb.org/farallon-ethermac-se-driver-disk-version-2-2-1/

I've found that the Farallon EN install works for the majority of that era Farallon network hardware, including the etherwave. I've managed to get TCP/IP working on 7.1.1 and 7.5.3 - but it seems dependent on working PRAM. The driver will install an "Alternate Ethernet" adapter, use that for IP networking.

Hope it works!

Alex

 

[retrocore9]

I use an Asante EN/SC adaptor myself but I'm sure this advice will work for the EtherWave

You first want to get a netgear 10mbps switch. This will take the information from your modern 100 mbps router and make it more compatible with the classic mac. So you would run ethernet cable from your modern router, to the netgear switch and then to the EtherWave.

After installing the drivers, you'll want to use MacTCP which you should have installed on the mac to then select Ethernet Built in, then manually set up the gateway settings for dhcp.

I've had good luck with MacTCP but you can also use Open Transport to just set TCP/IP settings to automatic.

 

[Mk.558]

Have you been able to get it working? I've added references to this type of adapter in the Guide (it'll show up next minor update) but there doesn't seem to be many similar models on eBay, other than AAUI adapters *yawn*.

EDIT: I'd love to have one of those things around. Probably much, much better than a regular AFP bridge. Also: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1428

 

[techknight]

http://www.welovemacs.com/pn801a.html

appears to be the older version, although I cannot verify. (PN801)

HIs version is a PN840ADB

 

[Mk.558]

Farallon uses external clocking in its EtherMac and EtherWave PowerBook adapters to push data through the serial port roughly three times faster than usual. This makes an excellent way to add an older PowerBook to an ethernet network. (BTW, these adapters do not support Open Transport.)

Source

I was looking for an article/post/blog/something that mentioned the difference between the Modem and Printer ports, saying something technical about one versus the other. I can't remember where it was and it's not in my bookmarks or history. Something to do about xfering data without as much interference from the CPU or thereabouts. Maybe it was a reference to something described in Inside Macintosh...dunno.

 

[bbraun]

A possibly relevant thread on modem vs printer ports

 

[insaneboy]

lucky... been watching eBay for one, just a bunch of AAUI adaptors BLAH.

Think one of those is the ticket to put my plus online, just for telnet really. but I don't even have a keyboard yet so I can wait to find one for a while yet

 

[Mk.558]

Online with no keyboard over pseudo-PPP dial up.

And yes I saw all the AAUI adapters...made my heart sink. xx(

 

[mactjaap]

I downloaded the driver, but it is in a image format I cannot open. Could anyone change it to a format I can open on an Old Mac. I have Disk Copy 6.3 and it is not able to mount this image what is inside the zip...

Thanks for your help!

See attachment (zip file):

Farallon221.zip

 

[Paralel]

Actually, it looks like this IMG file is badly damaged. My hackintosh running snow leopard, my Classic II running 7.1.1, nor my XP system could recognize it.

Sorry. I don't think that file is usable.

 

[NJRoadfan]

I was looking for an article/post/blog/something that mentioned the difference between the Modem and Printer ports, saying something technical about one versus the other. I can't remember where it was and it's not in my bookmarks or history. Something to do about xfering data without as much interference from the CPU or thereabouts. Maybe it was a reference to something described in Inside Macintosh...dunno.

You may have seen this post: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21226

Also this IIgs technote mentions the interrupt A as being special: http://www.umich.edu/~archive/apple2/technotes/tn/iigs/TN.IIGS.018

In practice, there is no difference, just two serial ports hanging off of the Zilog SCC. Apple just switches the communication mode to SDLC to whatever port Localtalk is being used on. The Etherwave likely uses the same transfer mode that Localtalk networking uses (230kbps) to achieve that breakneck speed. Out of the box the SCC is capable of 115kbps with standard RS-232 signaling, the real question is if the host machine can handle it as most aren't fast enough.

It really doesn't matter which port you use. Apple's software gives you the option to use either the printer port or the modem port for Localtalk. The same port flexibility exists on the slower Apple IIgs too.

 

[mactjaap]

Ok I found EN Card Installer 2.3. Installed it on a 7.5 System. ( Booted with extentions off).

Still no luck...

This is what I see when I run the diagnostic tool. It somehow sees the Etherwave Adapter ( I guess...)



I see also two green lights and orange blinking.



It doesn't show up in Network Control Panel and not in MacTCP..... What to try next?

 

[beachycove]

I have one of these — disused and in a box somewhere or other — and once upon a time I did have it working. There is some small magic at play in the dongle itself that boots networking speed well beyond the ordinary limits of the localtalk/ modem port to which it connects. I don't think the increase was massive, but when the thing was new, it was enough to make the purchase seem worthwhile.

I do not think the EtherWave is compatible any form of Open Transport, and seem to recall that there are compatibility issues even with 7.5 (though that might just be the later iterations, i.e., 7.5.x). Maybe try under 7.1? I think I must have had it working on a Duo 280c running 7.1.

Some years ago, I posted on here and asked about the thing. The question got a very knowledgeable response (Gorgonops? Equill?). But that would probably have been before the crash, and the archive is not searchable.

 

[Paralel]

Mactjaap, I might be able to send you some files that will help with trying this adapter on 7.1.x. If you're interested, drop me a PM.

 

[Paralel]

I put together a disk image with the latest version of the files you should need to run an Ethernet adapter on a PB 100 for System 7.1.x (with the exception of the actual Ethernet adapter drivers, since those are specific to the Ethernet adapter in question). I've tested all the enclosed files on 7.1.x personally and I know they absolutely work. You can either write the image to disk or mount it using Disk Copy. Either way should work. Hopefully you'll find it useful.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/dl0uum

 

[mactjaap]

@Paralel

SUPER! I have downloaded the file and unpacked and will start testing tonight.

I will install EN Card Installer 2.3 on this system and hope it will work. I have my PowerBook on the adapter all the time (current) so I hope there is no PRAM issue.

 

[mactjaap]

No succes..... I'm afraid that the EN Card Installer 2.3 is not the correct driver installer for a EtherWave.. The installer goes OK, but nothing changes.

There is no Alternative Ethernet or something like that installed. Only Localtalk.

That works.... but that is without the extra drivers. Also nothing in MacTCP.....

See screenshot



Any 2 cents???