» Pushing AppleTalk Throughout the Web

Seasoned Apple Macintosh execs have doubtless skilled the enjoyment (and unhappiness) of utilizing a big AppleTalk community. You realize, the type the place the Chooser immediately exhibits a Zone menu on the backside left the place there was none? Once you first see it, it’s a shock– such as you’ve immediately unlocked a secret energy up that your Mac has had all alongside.

The Zone menu exhibits when there’s an AppleTalk Router in your community. When you’ve got simply a few Macs linked collectively over LocalTalk cabling or Ethernet, you’ve doubtless not seen it. It’s how Apple segments networks into smaller chunks. I’m certainly not an AppleTalk Networks knowledgeable and there are doubtless others that know far more than me. I do know simply sufficient to be harmful.

Quick ahead to #MARCHintosh, the yearly occasion that celebrates the traditional Macintosh, and Dan on Mastodon mentions the thought of utilizing some software program to print to another person’s distant ImageWriter II, of their house, over the community. I instantly volunteered as tribute and we started making an attempt numerous issues. We first tried utilizing an AppleTalk VPN however couldn’t get it to compile. Perhaps you possibly can?

Subsequent, we’ve got Apple’s personal Apple Internet Router 3.0 (AIR) a attempt. It will possibly bridge LocalTalk and EtherTalk in your native community plus, with the suitable extension, tunnel it over IP to a different machine operating the identical.

Put together your Mac

Right here’s the steps we used to create a working AIR set up. We’re utilizing LC type issue machines with Ethernet playing cards put in within the PDS slot. Different machines might also work however haven’t been tried. I attempted getting the BlueSCSI DaynaPORT emulation working however the router wouldn’t begin– to be tinkered with later. H/t to Dan for determining the order of operations!

1. Begin with a contemporary set up of System 7.1.
2. Set up System Update 3.0.
3. Set up Apple Internet Router 3.0.
4. Set up Router IP extension.
5. Set up Network Software Installer 1.4.5.

Configure your Mac

After that, it is best to be capable of boot the machine. Let’s configure your Mac.

1. Open the Sharing Setup Management Panel. Activate File Sharing if you wish to share your pc with others. Activate Program Linking if you wish to use functions like HyperCard throughout networks.
2. If you wish to enable Friends to your machine, open Customers & Teams, double click on on Visitor and choose the permissions you want. Shut and save.
3. Open the MacTCP Management Panel. Set your Mac to a static IP tackle in your community. Make certain the router and subnet masks are set appropriately. Shut the window to avoid wasting.
4. Open the Community Management Panel. Make certain “Ethernet” is chosen (not EtherTalk!). Shut the window to avoid wasting.

Configure Apple Web Router

Subsequent, begin the Router Supervisor (a part of Apple Web Router). Observe these steps to configure the router:

1. Double click on on EtherTalk underneath Ethernet (Slot 6). Set Port standing: Energetic, Port: Seed, Community Vary: X-Y, Add a brand new Zone Identify (might be something), click on add. Click on Outline.
   Observe: the X-Y Community Vary is necessary! It have to be a novel vary in your community and can’t be the identical as anybody else you hook up with. This may increasingly take some coordination. A variety of about 10 is greater than adequate (i.e. 30-39).
2. Double click on IP Tunnel: Port standing: Energetic, Host ID: (insert the IP tackle of the distant Apple Web Router hosts.)
   Observe: Uncheck the field for “Use solely the host IDs listed” if you wish to settle for connections from another server, not simply those you might have listed.
3. When you’ve got a LocalTalk community, join it to your Printer Port. Double click on Printer Port LocalTalk. Set Port standing: Energetic, Port: Seed, Community Quantity: x, Enter a brand new Zone identify, click on Outline.
   Observe: once more, be certain the community quantity will not be used amongst different routers you hook up with.
4. You shouldn’t configure the Ethernet/EtherTalk possibility as that is doubtless the BlueSCSI DaynaPORT emulation. I’ve but to get this to work.
   Replace: Vlado Vince was in a position to get BlueSCSI DaynaPORT emulation working with Apple Web Router!
5. Save your Router doc to your drive and provides it a reputation. Subsequent, select the Management menu and choose Set Startup. Selected the doc you simply saved.

Configure your community

Subsequent, in case your Web connection is behind a NAT, you must map a port on your private home/work Web router to permit the opposite of us utilizing AIR to route visitors to you. They’ll additionally do the identical on their router. Map UDP 387 outdoors to UDP port 387 inside to the IP tackle of your Mac operating AIR.

When you’re unfortunate and are behind service grade NAT (CGNAT), there’s nonetheless hope! We tried a Oracle Cloud VPN occasion after which TailScale VPN service however have been all unsuccessful within the right incantation to make it work. I then wrote a Python script that permits one behind a CGNAT to hook up with somebody that has port mapping potential to tunnel the UDP knowledge over a single TCP connection. I’ll be releasing this shortly.

Begin it up

Lastly, within the Router Supervisor, begin the router by selecting Management menu -> Begin, save the doc, it ought to begin up! You’ll be able to monitor the community by selecting Home windows -> Community Info. When you’ve got different units in your LocalTalk or EtherTalk community, they are going to be re-assigned new community numbers by your router.

Open the Chooser and it is best to now see extra Zones (your personal and anybody else you’ve related with). Observe: the Chooser will refresh the zone record periodically. To pressure a refresh, shut and reopen.

Join all of the issues

When you’ve got an ImageWriter II with a LocalTalk card, join it to your LocalTalk community.

When you’ve got a EtherTalk succesful HP printer, join it to your Ethernet community.

When you’ve got different Macs in your community, flip then on and allow File Sharing if you wish to share with others.

Print to different folks’s printers! Share recordsdata over AppleShare!

However most significantly, have enjoyable!

Becoming a member of the #GlobalTalk community

I’ve created a Google Sheet to trace everybody who’s collaborating within the #GlobalTalk community experiment. To maintain info non-public and to restricted view, I’m including folks as editors to the doc. Please contact me via PM on Mastodon along with your needs to affix and your e-mail tackle.

I’ll be updating this doc with extra info quickly.