🚀 go-pugleaf

Prior to System 7, the general rule was that only one network
device could be active for AppleTalk, unless you had some sort of
routing software like AppleTalk Internet Router or Farallon
Liaison (and a sacrificial Mac).  [Things changed slightly to
support AppleTalk Remote Access Protocol.]

My best advice: unless you have an enormous investment in Mac
Pluses or Classics, abandon LocalTalk.  Upgrade your LaserWriters
to the IIg model (although an NTX with a Dayna EtherPrint adapter
isn't that unreasonable).  Connect the remaining machines to
Ethernet--starting with the 68030/68040 Macs and working your way
down.  General purpose LocalTalk-To-Ethernet boxes (Shiva,
Cayman, Webster) aren't necessarily a win; if you only have a
half dozen colocated machines, it's probably cheaper to fit them
with Ethernet cards.  If you have more, LocalTalk's 230.4Kbps
bandwidth becomes a serious bottleneck (it wasn't so bad when all
Macs had measly 8MHz 68000s :-) ), and devices that switch
multiple LocalTalk networks are themselves so expensive that
Ethernet looks even more attractive.

Ethernet cards for PeeCees are dirt cheap (and probably going to
get more so, especially with low-parts-count products like 3Com's
EtherLink III (3C509) hitting the streets).


					-=EPS=-
-- 
Of course, in a University environment, rationality is only one
of the decision factors; when you have money that can be used to
buy new equipment, but not to upgrade existing equipment, Shiva
FastPaths look very attractive.  :-)