[WinMac] RE: Recommendations for internet gateway

Omar Chávez(OmarChavez[at]fliteline.usa.com)
Fri, 19 Feb 1999 11:41:10 -0500

Victor,

Respoding to your questions in regards to Vicomsoft 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?
Doable, Yes, 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?
The application is really moderate in its demands for cycles, so the
answer is yes. Performancewise there's not much difference between a
dedicated old Mac or a multiuse new PC.
     3. On which platform, Mac or Wintel, is the software easier to set
up?
Mac hands down (though is not that hard to install it in a Windows box,
even NT).

> 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.
There are many options out there, particularly for the PC (as many
previous responses have pointed out). Vicom is remarkably easy to setup
and manage and it's truly crossplatform, besides, it's price tag is not
that bad for a full-fledged commercial product. Save yourself some
headaches and stick with Vicom.

> 5. Finally, what advice and precautions do you experts out there have
> for an
> interloper like me?
Though not an expert, I've been working with Macintosh networks for more
than 8 years and PC networks for half of that time. The best advice I
can give you is to know your options and don't be afraid to cross
platform boundaries for the ideal solution. No platform is perfect, the
Mac excel in many areas (especially Total Cost of Ownership, Ease-of-Use
and Time-Savings) but PC's do have some applications where their use is
the best option.

Lastly, if you're going to use Windows, don't settle for 9x/3x NT will
give you as many headaches as its little siblings, but they're worth it
(when compared to those lower-grade Win OSs). Keep an eye open for Mac
OS X, which might be like a dream come true for all demanding
crossplatform users (the power of UNIX with the simplicity of the Mac)
and most certainly will give NT a run for the money.

Omar Chávez
Director of Technical Services
*********************************************************
Flite Line Equipment Corp.
Corporate Headquarters
1100 NW 163rd Drive
Miami, FL 33169 USA
Tel (305) 626-0004 Fax (305) 626-0566 www.flitelineUSA.com
*********************************************************

> 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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