AppleTalk via Ethernet?

[MattB]

I've got two Kanga Powerbooks running 9.1 and wanted to connect them to transfer files. I plugged an ethernet cable into both machines' ethernet ports (I have gotten both on the internet via these ports so I know they both have ethernet capability). Unfortunately I get an error message from the AppleTalk control panel whenever I try to select "ethernet" that says the port cannot be accessed. I was able to connect the machines with IrDA (highly unstable), but I would like to be able to connect them via ethernet. Are there any settings I should look at first?

 

[PowerPup]

You can't use a standard Ethernet patch cable to connect two computers together. You either need to use a Ethernet Hub and connect the Kangas to it. Or get a cross-over Ethernet cable. Like this one.

After that, you do need to make sure that the proper Ethernet extension and the EtherTalk extension are enabled. After that there shouldn't be any problems.

Ben.

 

[MattB]

I feel like an idiot. I should have known that I can't just connect two machines with an ethernet cable. On the plus side, I was eventually able to get a stable IrDA connection between the two...but I can see why it never really caught on.

 

[Charlieman]

You were expected to use IrDA to sync your PDA with a desktop or laptop computer. kilobytes of data, not megabytes.

IrDA was effectively killed off by mobile phone manufacturers who imposed proprietary protocols. You could use IrDA on your phone as long as the computer was running an approved application.

 

[johnklos]

I feel like an idiot. I should have known that I can't just connect two machines with an ethernet cable. On the plus side, I was eventually able to get a stable IrDA connection between the two...but I can see why it never really caught on.

All Macs with gigabit ethernet have automatic crossover, so it's not all that surprising that you thought that a cable from one machine to the other would just work.