TashRouter: An AppleTalk Router

[NJRoadfan]

It is working fine with the beige G3 serving files on LocalTalk to mini vMac. I'm thinking the printer is the fussy client

 

[NJRoadfan]

Further testing with the G3 on both Ethernet and LocalTalk show that the problem is likely with atalkd in Configuration #2. It doesn't appear to be routing any packets between the eth0 and tap0 interfaces. It is broadcasting ZIP packets with zone information to Ethernet devices, but they can't talk to anything on the TAP side of the network.

I also tried netbooting the IIgs..... it didn't work even though I know communication is working on the line. I'll have to log that as well, a suspect something with the packet formatting is throwing it off and maybe even my printer. The beige G3 can talk to netatalk via tashtalk no problem.

 

[tashtari]

Glad to hear you've had some success and that you found the culprit in configuration 2. I took a look at that log and couldn't find anything that looked like incorrect behavior from the router, so I'm interested to hear your theories about the packet formatting...

I did notice, however, the strings of CTSes from TashTalk, which makes me think the return-to-idle issue that I fixed in version 2.1.2 of TashTalk is more pervasive than I originally thought. I tend to doubt this is what's causing problems with the printer as frames do seem to get through at least most of the time, but if you've got a PICkit (and have a TashTalk 2 hat rather than one of bdurbrow's OG ones), I'd suggest upgrading the firmware to 2.1.2.

 

[NJRoadfan]

I have a bdurbrow unit sadly, so flashing is out of the question. I could check the printer with modtashtalk and see if that configuration works. That would eliminate any possible TashTalk issues.

I connected a USB Ethernet adapter to the Pi and let atalkd route between the two. I had no issues seeing machines and transferring data between the sides, so atalkd is definitely passing packets between networks. The TAP configuration is a bit janky, but maybe its a problem with hops? I really don't know at this point.

I'll get everything setup with the TashTalk again tomorrow and do some more testing. I also have to get Void Linux setup on a SD card and get macvtap a try. That way I can remove the extra router hop to/from eth0 from the equation.

 

[tashtari]

With the tap configuration, seeing broadcast frames and not unicast frames was the same issue I was having when I was trying to make it work (before I started using macvtap), maybe that's just coincidence, I'm not sure.

 

[NJRoadfan]

I did turn on promiscuous mode. Also, I was able to talk to the netatalk services from TashTalk and LToUP, so the actual tap link seems to work. Communication thru atalkd to eth0 seems to not work for some reason. We'll see what more testing tomorrow brings.

 

[tashtari]

Interesting that it works when used directly but routing isn't working... you'd think that if one netatalk function worked, they all would. Weird. I suppose it means, at least, that you can put netatalk on its own EtherTalk network and route it through TashRouter to eth0 via a macvtap.

Also, I had tried turning on promiscuous mode as well in my testing with the tap driver, it didn't change anything. I just assumed I was doing something wrong with the setup of the bridge...

Will definitely be interested to hear whether modtashtalk allows the printer to talk to netatalk. I was thinking at first that the printer might not be smart enough to handle AppleTalk routing, but I'm not sure that makes sense, the log file you sent shows the printer sending datagrams to Mini vMac through the router as normal. The log shows the printer repeatedly responding to an NBP LkUp sent through the router and Mini vMac repeatedly trying to start a dialogue with the printer through the router, no other activity between them. The datagrams are being routed as expected, the printer just isn't responding to being hailed for some reason.

 

[NJRoadfan]

In today's unexpected roadblocks, minivMac has just decided to stop working with LToUDP. Not seeing any packets on the network from it anymore. TashRouter is working fine, I see its traffic just fine.

 

[NJRoadfan]

OK, fixed LToUDP. Windows borked multicasting as usual. I can confirm that TashTalk does not seem to work with a HP LaserJet 4MP. Tried it with tashtalkd and minivmac direct and it still hangs trying to connect.

 

[tashtari]

Huh, that's weird. Do you want a TashTalk 2 hat kit with the 2.1.2 firmware to try it on? Message me your address and I'll send you one.

 

[tashtari]

Windows borked multicasting as usual

Also, what did you do to fix multicasting? @finkmac is having some similar issues...

 

[tashtari]

I have a bdurbrow unit sadly, so flashing is out of the question.

Do you have a PIC programmer? I'm thinking about trying to backport the fix to 1.x...

 

[tashtari]

Okay, so this is TashTalk 1.0.1 release candidate 0, it's the same as 1.0 except it has the idle-line fix from 2.1.2 backported. If you're able, give it a try on your bdurbrow hat and see if the printer likes it better...

 

[NJRoadfan]

I don't have a PIC programmer. Note that I got tons of malformed frame errors from the IIgs as well. Before I try a newer revision TashTalk, I still want to test with modtashtalk. Is the kit assembled? I likely won't get to this after the holidays anyway.

I fixed my multicasting problem by disabling the VirtualBox Host-Only network adapters. Others have had the issue and that fixed the problem.

 

[tashtari]

I don't have a PIC programmer.

Ok, better idea, I can program a PIC12F1840 with the 1.0.1 firmware and mail it to you, then you can just pop the existing chip out of your existing hat, no assembly required.

Note that I got tons of malformed frame errors from the IIgs as well.

I feel like I've heard this behavior mentioned before... I don't think it's what's keeping the IIgs from netbooting, but it warrants further investigation.

 

[NJRoadfan]

OK, did some testing with modtashtalk and TashRouter. I can now say for sure that the LaserJet 4MP is not cooperating with TashTalk. Also I can confirm that LToUDP clients couldn't talk to TashTalk clients via atalkd+modtashtalk. Jumping that second "hop" thru atalkd seems to be a recurring problem.

 

[NJRoadfan]

I was able to netboot the IIgs with a TashTalk via modtashtalk. I suspect that the ROM based AppleTalk stack on the IIgs is a bit particular about network setup. I'll leave debugging that for another day.

 

[tashtari]

Discovered a bug in the code that was keeping TashRouter from replying to GetNetInfo calls, this might be the cause of some EtherTalk unhappiness... fix is now pushed to Github.

 

[NJRoadfan]

OK, I'll have to give it a shot.

One thing I noticed, how is TashRouter handling non-extended DDP packets or packets with a network of '0'? I noticed that the Shiva Fastpath 5 was transmitting NBP replies from 0.220 in the debug logs (it should be 1.220 in this case if the packets were extended format) to TashRouter to respond to minivmac when I opened it's configuration tool. The Fastpath never shows up on the list of devices on the network to configure.

 

[NJRoadfan]

No improvement with Configuration #2. I'm not seeing a routing table entry being created for the Ethernet network on the other side of atalkd. I don't know where the problem would be though. When you connected TashRouter to AppleTalk Internet Router, were machines on LToUDP or TashTalk able to talk to machines on the other side of the AIP Router? See diagram below with totally made up network numbers.

LToUDP-1--(TashRouter)---25--(AppleTalk Internet Router)--33---Some Ethernet Host on another network