Re: [winmac] Recommendations for internet gateway

Bryan Keet(bryan.keet[at]vicomsoft.com)
Fri, 19 Feb 1999 12:20:16 +0000

Hi,

Sorry to the other users on the list for the bias to Vicomsoft software, but as the questions were directly related, I'll answer these..

1. Yes; TCP/IP is platform independent. A PC can access the Internet thru a Mac Internet Gateway (VIG), as could a Mac access the Internet thru a PC VIG. the actual platforms are irrelevant to the protocol. (However the Mac VIG does support MacIP/Localtalk networks, which the PC version obviously does not)

2. If the VIG is running on the same PC as the user, then there should be no discernable performance loss for the user. However you do run the risk that if the user crashes the machine it could obviously effect connectivity for other users..

There are new technical specifications now on the Vicomsoft site:
for the VIG see: http://www.vicomsoft.com/vig/spec/vig.spec.html

3. The VIG runs exactly the same on both platforms, with as many identical features as possible given the different OS/network architectures involved..

4. If you don't need content filtering, SoftRouter Plus (SRP) is a lot cheaper.

5. Vicomsoft give free professional unlimited technical support on the VIG and SRP..

final notes:

Running the VIG on a Mac does not effect it's Appletalk connection at all.
The problem is more to let the Mac "see" the shared windows printers. You could use MacLAN <http://www.miramarsys.com/> running on one of your PC's to provide Appletalk access to the printers..

Please feel free to contact me if you nned more information of have any further questions..

Regards,
Bryan Keet
Vicomsoft
mailto:bryan.keet@vicomsoft.com
http://www.vicomsoft.com

North America Tel 1-800 818 4266
Europe & International Tel +44 (0) 1202 293 233
Vicomsoft - Specialising in TCP/IP solutions for Windows & MacOS

///////////////////

>I'm looking for recommendations and advice on which platform I should install
>and run the internet gateway software from Vicom (http://www.vicomsoft.com).
>
>The gateway is for six Gateway Pentium II computers (333 mhz and 350 mhz)
>running Windows98 and one Mac (which will also be an intranet server). I want
>the computers on the network to be able to share a modem and hence an internet
>connection.
>
>The office used to be all Mac, but the new president did not like Macs and so
>despite my protests and suggestions jettisoned all the Macs. I convinced her
>to hang on to one (to be used for the intranet -- Netpresenz 4.1 -- and
>general office work), and I would like to use a second of the old Macs (Quadra
>605s with 20 megs of memory but tiny hard drives) for the internet gateway.
>
>1, Is this setup doable? Will the windows PCs be able to get TCP/IP through
>the Mac? I know in theory it should work, but has anyone done it?

>
>2. If the performance hit is not bad, shouldn't I use one of the Wintel
>computers as the internet gateway (two of which already have internal modems)?
> Is the performance of the internet gateway much better or worse on the Mac or
>Wintel platform?

>
>3. On which platform, Mac or Wintel, is the software easier to set up? One
>caveat: WindowsNT is out (too complex and new for me) and all the Unix
>flavors are out as well (it's been too long since I've done anything but type
>an ls command in Unix). For other reasons, the variations of AppleShare are
>out as well (will need a new Mac, which the president of the company will not purchase).

>
>4. What other internet gateway options are there? The product from Vicom
>strikes me as competent, well priced, and thorough. Plus, I like the
>cross-platform nature of it even if I end up using the Wintel version. But,
>I'm new to this kind of software, and I don't want to make a career out of
>being a computer consultant. I do this stuff to make ends meet while I try to
>finish my degree, and, frankly, while I like all the money I'm making from
>setting up the Gateways I prefer the days when the Macs just chugged along
>with my occasional assistance.
>
>5. Finally, what advice and precautions do you experts out there have for an
>interloper like me?
>
>Some final notes. The office does mostly general business work (work
>processing or spreadsheets). There is no server, and the printers (HP4ML,
>HP5MP, and a new HP6xli) will be run as shared devices off of three of the
>Wintels (I'm still trying to figure out how the Mac will print to one of the
>postscript HPs via localtalk and be the intranet server as well. I think I
>have a problem here unless I get an ethernet bridge or move the intranet to a
>second mac that does not print.). Some file sharing will occur as well. The
>network will run at 10 mbs(?) and not 100 (the hubs are still too expensive
>and Mac LC/PDS cards at that price are way too expensive), but an upgrade may
>happen down the line.

>
>And one more final note. The office is extremely new to computers and the
>president comes from a previous office that relied on a terminal/mainframe
>approach. Solutions that seem to obvious to you or me are not so obvious to
>her. Initially, despite my efforts to convince her about needing a network,
>she did not want to spend the money. Then, when she had to take a disk to the
>computer that was hooked up to a printer, she wanted to get a printer for each
>computer. After pointing out she could have two networks for the price of one
>$400 laserjet and then everyone could print did she understand she needed a network
>
>Thanks for your help,
>Victor
>P/T computer consultant
>
>--
>Victor Forberger
>Law, Policy, and Society Program Northeastern University
>
>Dept. of Anthropology and Sociology
>500 Holmes Hall
>Northeastern University
>Boston, MA 02115 617-373-4994 (office) 617-373-2688 (fax)

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