G4 and G3 networking

[ken27238]

i have in the past added macs to existing networks but never created one from scratch, here are the things that i get to work with:

1 Power mac G4

1 Power Mac G3

2 patch cords

2 t-base 10 hubs

lets just say that this is Macintosh Networking for Dummies

 

[porter]

Connect both boxes to a single hub using the drop cables, make sure the hub is powered up.

AppleTalk network should work out of the box.

So to TCP/IP, DHCP won't work without a DHCP server to allocate the IP addresses, so you need to decide on a static subnet (eg 192.168.1.x with netmask 255.255.255.0 ) then allocate the addresses as follows,

reserve 192.168.1.1 for a router, then give 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 to the boxes. Configure using the networking control panel in the TCP/IP pane.

You have no name server, so refer to each machine by IP address.

 

[ken27238]

thanks for the help

 

[zerotypeq]

if you dont already have cables hit up monoprice.com

 

[Christopher]

You don't even need the hubs for this sort of thing.

 

[porter]

You don't even need the hubs for this sort of thing.

You need a hub or a cross-over cable rather than a standard drop-cable.

A hub also makes things simpler because you can see the flashing lights. Some devices won't work with cross-overs because they need the other party to to the link-active.

 

[Bunsen]

I thought the G3s and up had autosensing ports, so either a straight or crossover cable would work.

 

[Dog Cow]

I thought the G3s and up had autosensing ports, so either a straight or crossover cable would work.

I've used an LC with a cross-over cable, even.

 

[Gorgonops]

I thought the G3s and up had autosensing ports, so either a straight or crossover cable would work.

I don't think anything in Apple's product line without Gigabit Ethernet autosenses. This Apple knowledge article base backs me up on that. Remember of course that only one end of the pair has to support auto-mdix for it to work. Thus if you've plugged, say, a G4 Powerbook into G3 doorstop, then it worked because the newer machine could do it.

There are a few hubs/switches that run at 100mb that can auto-MDIX, but it's a vendor-specific feature (HP Procurve 10/100 network switches newer then 2003 or so do, for instance.). Auto-MDIX *is* part of the GigE specification.

 

[MacJunky]

You need a hub or a cross-over cable rather than a standard drop-cable.

Never suggest to people unfamiliar with basic home networking to get a hub. Always switch because they do not know any better and may well go find a real hub instead of switch.

Also, it is unlikely that most PC weenies where the person is going(best buy, future shop, radio shack, etc) will know the meaning of "drop-cable"(at least in north america). So people should be told patch cable instead because that is what the so-called geniuses ( :lol: ) at those stores will know it as.

 

[porter]

So people should be told patch cable instead

As long as they like being close.

I didn't event get round to mentioning that "router" rhymes with "hooter", because it routes packets. How do you pronounce "Route 66"?

 

[MacJunky]

Well I guess that depends on what part of the world someone is from.

 

[Gorgonops]

You need a hub or a cross-over cable rather than a standard drop-cable.

Never suggest to people unfamiliar with basic home networking to get a hub. Always switch because they do not know any better and may well go find a real hub instead of switch.

I don't know if anyone makes genuine "hubs" anymore, at least for consumer use. The last thing I looked at that said "hub" on the outside of the box, a really horrible cheapest-thing-we-could-find Linksys of about 2004 vintage, was actually a switch. (Confirmed via tcpdump.) Which was a bummer because we specifically *wanted* a hub for the application in question. (don't ask.)

It might be worth saying "switch" anyway just because most boxes say "switch" on them now, but there's not much danger of accidentally buying an ethernet hub. If they're totally computer-clueless a bigger danger is them walking home with a USB hub instead.

 

[Charlieman]

Which was a bummer because we specifically *wanted* a hub for the application in question. (don't ask.)

Non-invasive packet sniffing? Stress testing using an artificially slow network? Testing UDP broadcasts? There are lots of legitimate applications where you really do need a hub.

 

[Gorgonops]

Which was a bummer because we specifically *wanted* a hub for the application in question. (don't ask.)

Non-invasive packet sniffing? Stress testing using an artificially slow network? Testing UDP broadcasts? There are lots of legitimate applications where you really do need a hub.

The first one. I was looking for a cheap solution to outfit a whole lab full of development machines (testing threat detection software) with traffic-sniffing taps and inexpensive desktop hubs, one per machine, was the first thing that crossed my mind.

In the end I handwired several patch-panels worth of "snort taps" which was even cheaper. But boy was it hard not to go insane doing it.

 

[ken27238]

You don't even need the hubs for this sort of thing.

I would like to use a hub so i can hide it and so if i get some more of my macs on the network i can just add them in

I thought the G3s and up had autosensing ports, so either a straight or crossover cable would work.

as for my G3 and G4 i don't know if they do or don't, ill see if I can find out

You need a hub or a cross-over cable rather than a standard drop-cable.

Never suggest to people unfamiliar with basic home networking to get a hub. Always switch because they do not know any better and may well go find a real hub instead of switch.

I am familiar with basic home networking, but the networking that I have done is under OS X 10.5.8, and i have done networking in the graphic arts department that i am in at school. as for if I have a hub or a switch i know that i have a hub because: A) it was used in our shop as a hub for our computers in our department, B) it says hub right on the front.