networking a 512k and a plus

[bedroom]

hi, all. i was told at some point along the line that there was a way for me to connect my macintosh 512k to my plus using a "printer cable." i wanted to ask about the specifics of doing this. i'm not really very familiar with appletalk or localtalk, so i wanted to ask (a) if the two computers can be networked and, (b) if so, how i could go about hooking them up to each other. thank you!

 

[Iesca]

To connect them using AppleTalk, you will need a LocalTalk box that connects to the 9-pin serial ports on the 512k and a second LocalTalk box that connnects to the 8-pin serial ports introduced on the Plus, then connect them together with the 3-pin cables that come with the boxes and one of the interconnects. You can use either port on the boxes, but you must use the printer ports, not the modem ports, on the Macs. Make sure that AppleTalk is turned On in the Chooser (it usually is by default) and that each computer is given a name, and god willing they should show up in the list of available devices for each other in the AppleShare panel (AppleShare should be in the system folder, if it's not, install it first from the system disks).

It is also apparently possible to connect two Macs using a "null modem" cable, but I have never tried this. I think it would also require terminal software or some such, but again, not entirely sure.

 

[Iesca]

It is also possible to use "PhoneNet" boxes instead, which use standard telephone cable instead of the 3-pin miniDIN of LocalTalk. However, you'd still need one box that connects to 9-pin serial on the 512k and one that is 8-pin for the Plus.

 

[robin-fo]

You could also use a direct cable, without LocalTalk/PhoneNet boxes, but you need to check the pinout of such cable first. The 128k and 512k Macs have a DE-9 serial port and the Plus has a standard Mini-DIN 8.
What kind of networking services are you intending to do?

 

[Phipli]

It is also apparently possible to connect two Macs using a "null modem" cable, but I have never tried this. I think it would also require terminal software or some such, but again, not entirely sure.

You don't quite have this right, you're mixing mac and PC stuff. As mentioned by robin-fo, if you are networking two Macs only, you don't need localtalk boxes. A regular serial cable is enough to set up a two machine network.

The 512k has dsub serial though, so a dsub to 8pin mini din cable is required. The type you would use to connect something like an ImageWriter II to a 512k.

 

[Iesca]

Well there you go!

Still stand by the AppleTalk stuff.

 

[Phipli]

Well there you go!

Still stand by the AppleTalk stuff.

But if you're only connecting two machines (and only have two), buying two localtalk boxes and a local talk cable is more expensive than just using a single cable to achieve the exact same thing?

Boxes are for connecting three or more machines?

 

[bedroom]

You could also use a direct cable, without LocalTalk/PhoneNet boxes, but you need to check the pinout of such cable first. The 128k and 512k Macs have a DE-9 serial port and the Plus has a standard Mini-DIN 8.
What kind of networking services are you intending to do?

You don't quite have this right, you're mixing mac and PC stuff. As mentioned by robin-fo, if you are networking two Macs only, you don't need localtalk boxes. A regular serial cable is enough to set up a two machine network.

The 512k has dsub serial though, so a dsub to 8pin mini din cable is required. The type you would use to connect something like an ImageWriter II to a 512k.

Well there you go!

Still stand by the AppleTalk stuff.

Thanks for the replies. I'll look into getting the dsub to 8pin mini din cable you mentioned. As for what I intend to do with the network, I just sort of want to see what's possible. Ideally, I'd like to transfer files to and from the computers, but I'll have to test what's possible once I get the cable. Probably good that I will end up with that cable one way or another, considering I want to get an Imagewriter II somewhere down the line

 

[bedroom]

You don't quite have this right, you're mixing mac and PC stuff. As mentioned by robin-fo, if you are networking two Macs only, you don't need localtalk boxes. A regular serial cable is enough to set up a two machine network.

The 512k has dsub serial though, so a dsub to 8pin mini din cable is required. The type you would use to connect something like an ImageWriter II to a 512k.

If I were to get a de-9 male to mini-din 8 female online and threw a gender changer on the mini-din end, would that hypothetically work? the imagewriter cables alone go for >30 dollars.

 

[Phipli]

If I were to get a de-9 male to mini-din 8 female online and threw a gender changer on the mini-din end, would that hypothetically work? the imagewriter cables alone go for >30 dollars.

I suspect not, what's the cable for? The 512k isn't RS232, it has differential pairs in its 9 pin connector.

How's your soldering? I'd buy an din to din cable, cut it in half and wire a dsub onto the end...

 

[cheesestraws]

How's your soldering? I'd buy an din to din cable, cut it in half and wire a dsub onto the end...

This is probably the cheapest answer.

The easiest is 'get a 512k localtalk box and a mini-din localtalk box and a localtalk cable'.

Either will work fine.

 

[olePigeon]

My only recommendation would be that if the OP plans to go the adapter route, they might as well go with the PhoneNet. The DE9 versions are harder to come by, but if the OP ever gets an SE or newer, then those PhoneNet adapters are really cheap. Not to mention that a phone cable a cheaper than a LocalTalk cable.

 

[dochilli]

Printer cable:

https://whitefiles.org/tec/pgs/h10b.

Third cable:

http://www.applefool.com/se30/images/img/1yq5cpr6.png

Networking

Classic Mac Networking

I would solder my own cable to connect two macs.