🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <25255@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> abbott@dean.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (+Mark Abbott) writes:

>A couple of questions.  1:  I've got a very small localtalk network which
>is giving me a strange problem.  The setup is:
>
>Mac SE		Mac SE		Mac+		LW+
>  |		  |		 |		 |
>  |		  |		 |		 |
>  |______________|______________|_______________|
>
>The problem is that the Mac+ can't seem to find the LW+.  Chooser won't
>turn up the LW when I choose the LW driver.  However, if I cut off the
>two SEs so that the network is just the Mac+ and the LW, the problem goes
>away.  The two SEs never seem to have any trouble finding the LW.  
>All the software is compatible.  I'm baffled.  Anybody got suggestions?  

Check your "AppleTalk Personal Network" manual, to be sure you've got it
all cabled correctly. Any dangling cables at the ends?

The manual also shows every connection using a connection box; at the
ends, one of the two "outlets" is empty. I don't think it hurts to simply
omit the connnection boxes at the ends, and just plug in the cable directly
(for one thing, I've done it that way myself); but if you're doing it
that way, you might try using the connection boxes to see if it makes a
difference.

Is the Mac+ connector plugged into its printer port? The modem port
won't work.

Of course, you've already checked all the connectors to make sure they're
tight, so I won't even suggest that. :-)

You've probably also had all the machines turned on and off several
times in your trials; but if you haven't, cycle power on everybody.
This has the effect of re-assigning the dynamic IDs, and can resolve
conflicts. This is a rare problem (the whole point of dynamic IDs is
to avoid such conflicts), but the manual mentions it, so I guess it
can happen.

You've said that all the software is compatible. That's a common problem,
but if you've checked that carefully, then it's not your problem.

If all else fails: you just might have a bad cable or connection box.
(Connection box, probably, since the SEs and the LW can communicate
across the length of the net.) I've never heard of such a thing, but
hardware, like the flesh, is fallible. Try swapping the cables and boxes
amongst the machines to see if the symptoms change.

If *none* of that works, call a witch doctor; you've got gremlins. :-(

Extra disclaimer: I'm not a LocalTalk guru; just a daily user. Perhaps
an expert will chime in with better advice.

==========================================================================
Rick Holzgrafe              |    {sun,voder,nsc,mtxinu,dual}!apple!rmh
Software Engineer           | AppleLink HOLZGRAFE1    rmh@apple.apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc.        |  "All opinions expressed are mine, and do
20525 Mariani Ave. MS: 27-O |    not necessarily represent those of my
Cupertino, CA 95014         |        employer, Apple Computer Inc."