RE: [WinMac] How can I "reset" ports, printer, ethernet etc.

PetersJB@nswccd.navy.mil
Mon, 22 Mar 1999 07:36:01 -0800

Rosemary,

I'm a bit confused by your question. It sounds like you're intending to use
the ethernet port on your Mac connected by cross-over cable to either your
husband's PC or the 100 Pentium card in your Mac. The error/warning message
you mention relates to the selection of the port to be used for the
AppleTalk protocol. If you have selected or are selecting "Ethernet" as the
port within the AppleTalk control panel, then the ethernet port is "tested"
to ensure it is operational and, if not, you get a message to the effect
that 'the selected port is not available, reverting to built-in LocalTalk
instead". Built-in LocalTalk means using the Printer Port. Now if your
Printer Port is not connected to a LocalTalk network but instead has a
serial device (e.g. printer, modem, camera) plugged in, then you may lose
the ability to communicate with those devices.

To get to what you can do about it ...

Take a look at the AppleTalk and TCP/IP control panels. In each of them you
can set a User Mode (Edit menu) from Basic to Advanced. In the Advanced
mode you'll have access to an Options button through which you can turn
these protocols on and off.

If you're really trying to use AppleTalk to communicate between the Mac and
PCs, then you should only need to select the proper port from the AppleTalk
CP. However, this can only be done after the computers have been physically
connected. If the Mac's ethernet port is unconnected (unterminated), you'll
get an error message, and it'll revert the AppleTalk port to the Printer
Port. If you will routinely be switching between no AppleTalk connection
and an AppleTalk connect via ethernet to one of the PCS, then you may want
to Create to two AppleTalk CP configurations (File menu). One in which
AppleTalk is turned off and another in which it uses the ethernet port. If
you want to get creative, you can install Apple Configuration Manager and
use it to switch back and forth easily.

Since AppleTalk will be routinely performing sanity checks on the network,
you may want to consider a setup which is a little less fragile than a
point-to-point cross-over network. By adding a inexpensive hub your Mac
will accept your choice of ethernet even if the PCs are not turned on.

If you are using TCP/IP as the protocol between your Mac and PCs, then you
don't need AppleTalk (for that) at all. For TCP/IP settings you use the
TCP/IP control panel which looks a lot like the AppleTalk CP in terms of
port selection, user mode, and creation of configurations.

Finally, (in a later message) you mentioned using Mac OS 8.0. I'd recommend
getting the MacOS 8.1 updater from Apple and installing it. Although I
can't think of how an 8.0 vs. 8.1 difference might address your specific
problem, there are enough benefits to using 8.1 that it would be worth the
effort. Since you're using a PC Compatible Card you'll probably want to
double-check it's compatibility issues. As I recall the 8.0-to-8.1 change
was while the 8.5 upgrade introduced some correctable problems.

Good luck.

________________________________________________________________________
Brooks Peters (301) 227-1243 (voice)
NSWC - Carderock Division (301) 227-5930 (fax)
Code 5500 (Bldg. 18, Rm. 127) mailto:PetersJB@nswccd.navy.mil
9500 MacArthur Blvd.
West Bethesda, MD 20817-5700

> ----------
> From: Rosemary J. Hagen
> Reply To: The Windows-maces cooperation list
> Sent: Monday, March 22, 1999 9:13 AM
> To: The Windows-MacOS cooperation list
> Subject: [WinMac] How can I "reset" ports, printer, ethernet etc.
>
> Dear WinMac Wizards,
>
> I am still stuck with a problem. I would like to be able to "take
> control" of my ports! I find it very frustrating to have to reboot when
> the printer port "is in use" just to re-open or close the port. For
> [WinMac] though in particular, I'm connected with a cross-over cable to
> my husband's PC and my 100 Pentium card (I have a 7200/120 PC Compatible
> with OS 8.0 and Windows 95.) We can connect just fine in Windows but if
> I have to reboot the windows side, I can't reconnect with his PC unless I
> reboot the Mac too. I would love to not have to waste so much time. To
> transfer files to the PC Drive I have to have the PC shut down - if I
> then restart the PC, my ethernet connection is broken.

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