Localtalk - Ethernet bridge help needed

[JAG]

I don't know why this isn't working, so I'm looking for some advice on where to start.

I have a linux based netatalk server that runs perfectly well serving up files via ethernet, even to an old SE/30 with an Asante ethernet card.

I'm trying to hook up a Mac Plus and SE to the netatalk server via a Localtalk to Ethernet adapter.

Initially I tried an AsanteTalk and it worked once and then quit working. It still powers on, but no amount of fiddling with startup sequence etc get it to connect.

I then bought an Apple Stylewriter Localtalk to Ethernet bridge on eBay and it also doesn't work (it looks like a Farallon iPrint, but is beige)

I then bought a Farallon iPrint on eBay and it also fails to connect.

So, two things occur to me: either my netatalk server isn't setup correctly (though it works flawlessly with devices via Ethernet and worked once with the Asante) or the bridges I'm using are flaky, though what are the chances that three of the them would all not work?

Any suggestions?

 

[JAG]

I should mention that everthing was connected with a Synoptics 10B-T hub (not a switch) as I've read that these old devices have trouble negotiating connections with 100/1000B-T networks.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

What version of netatalk?

I use a Dayna EtherPrint for my bridging to my NetBSD IIci, but it runs a very old netatalk.

 

[PowerPup]

There are certain versions of Netatalk where appletalk was broke: http://68kmla.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16102&p=168652&hilit=netatalk#p168612

Yes, sorry I missed this thread. netatalk 2.2.0 introduced a directory cache that was used uninitialized for appletalk, causing the afp daemon to crash the first time a client connected. AFP over IP was fine. I reported this with a fix back in November, but it didn't make a release until 2.2.2 in January.

 

[JAG]

Looks like I'm using 2.1.2 and the weird thing is that it DID work once with my Asante box.

I'm pretty sure it's a bridge problem and not a netatalk problem since I setup file sharing on my PowerBook G3 PDQ running 8.6 and still couldn't connect with my SE/30 (running 7.1) over localtalk via the bridge. Again everything was running through the Synoptics hub.

Anyway, here's the output from my debian box:

Package: netatalk

Priority: extra

Section: net

Installed-Size: 3200

Maintainer: Jonas Smedegaard

Architecture: i386

Version: 2.1.2-2

Depends: libc6 (>= 2.11), libcomerr2 (>= 1.01), libcrack2 (>= 2.8.12), libcups2 (>= 1.4.0), libdb4.8, libgcrypt11 (>= 1.4.2), libgnutls26 (>= 2.7.14-0), libgssapi-krb5-2 (>= 1.8+dfsg), libk5crypto3 (>= 1.6.dfsg.2), libkrb5-3 (>= 1.6.dfsg.2), libpam0g (>= 0.99.7.1), libwrap0 (>= 7.6-4~), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4), perl, netbase, libpam-modules

Recommends: lsof, rc, db4.8-util, procps, cracklib-runtime, libpam-cracklib

Suggests: texlive-base-bin, groff, quota, db4.2-util, db4.7-util

Filename: pool/main/n/netatalk/netatalk_2.1.2-2_i386.deb

Size: 1303826

MD5sum: 5436c5eda11df580dcfbcb9090813a28

SHA1: 0013ed55be82941a8983b86352aeac09be07896a

SHA256: e33261bfd560d326ecffe0d64743f675a1ca955bc762969a734202a5ad9bfae8

Description: AppleTalk user binaries

Netatalk is an implementation of the AppleTalk Protocol Suite for

BSD-derived systems. The current release contains support for

EtherTalk Phase I and II, DDP, RTMP, NBP, ZIP, AEP, ATP, PAP, ASP, and AFP.

 

[JAG]

I do have one theory that perhaps someone could weigh in on:

1) The AsanteTalk bridge is crap

2) The Apple StyleWriter localtalk-ethernet bridge won't work for generic localtalk devices

3) The Farallon iPrint was an iPrint SL model (there is also an iPrint LT, which implies there must be some difference between them?)

So basically if I want to have a localtalk to ethernet bridge for connecting localtalk computers to a netatalk server, which bridge would be recommended?

 

[ClassicHasClass]

If you have a spare Mac around doing nothing with Ethernet and LocalTalk connected to it, you could try the software LocalTalk Bridge that's floating around the net. If that works, then at least that tells you something.

 

[Hrududu]

I do have one theory that perhaps someone could weigh in on:
1) The AsanteTalk bridge is crap

2) The Apple StyleWriter localtalk-ethernet bridge won't work for generic localtalk devices

3) The Farallon iPrint was an iPrint SL model (there is also an iPrint LT, which implies there must be some difference between them?)

So basically if I want to have a localtalk to ethernet bridge for connecting localtalk computers to a netatalk server, which bridge would be recommended?

I have an AsanteTalk, and I really can't say its been a problem for me. It runs pretty much nostop for months with only the occasional reboot needed. It also uses a lot less power than using a Mac as a localtalk bridge which I did do for about 2 years with my Performa 6115 CD.

 

[trag]

I think you should test whether your AsanteTalk is still working at all.

Setup the SE/30 to act as a Server using File Sharing (available in System 7 and later). Check and see whether your Plus or SE can see the SE/30 by selecting AppleShare in the Chooser.

If that's not working, then the AsanteTalk is probably toast. Although, I am assuming that you've done everything else correctly, like terminating the ends of your PhoneNet media and having AppleTalk active on all the machines.

I use a MicroAsantePrint (predecessor to the AsanteTalk) and it has been perfectly reliable for about fifteen years with the occasional reboot, as Hrududu mentioned. The only difference between the two is that the MAP has some network administrator functions available that the AsanteTalk lacks, but since I never use those, it's essentially the same thing. The hardware is identical (unless one has a MAP with a ThinNet connector).

So, no, the AsanteTalk is not crap. It does its job really really well. The particular unit you have may be broken, or there may be other issues at work.

I'm not familiar with netatalk, so I can't address your problem in detail, but the Asante product only bridges AppleTalk back and forth between the two media. It doesn't speak anything resembling TCP/IP.

In my household, I have had a couple of LocalTalk printers and a few computers of various models connected to the PhoneNet network and everything else connected by ethernet, and the MicroAsantePrint has always supported printing via AppleTalk and Apple File Sharing between machines on either network media without a hitch. That's what it is built to do.

 

[spiceyokooko]

I agree with the previous two contributors. I've also had an Asante MicroAsantePrint running for well over 10 years without problem. In my experience of them they either work or they don't work, there's not an awful lot of maybe they'll work or maybe they wont. They are generally in my experience pretty reliable too. The fact that you've had yours working once, suggests that it is working and it's not likely that all three of the devices you have would all be faulty. Possible, but not likely in my opinion.

My guess and it is only a guess, is that the problem lies somewhere between the hardware connections of hubs, bridge, ethernet and localtalk cabling and your network software setup. I don't think I'd be pointing the finger at the Asante.

Cheers!