Mainly Neat Stuff --> Vintage Networking --> AppleShare Servers for PCs
This page is still under development. Topics to be discussed will include:
The Windows NT server family has always included support for Macintoshes. In addition to the AppleShare compatible file server, there is a print spooler that allegedly permits Macs to print to a non-PostScript black and white printer (I don't know anyone who has tried this functionality). Note that the Windows NT workstation family includes the AppleTalk protocol but there is no built-in support for AppleShare file sharing; AppleTalk can only be used to print to AppleTalk printers unless third party file sharing software is installed.
Only a handful of LocalTalk cards have ever been supported by the Windows NT family:
The MacWindows site (http://www.macwindows.com/) covers Macintosh compatibility issues with NT /2000/2003 AppleShare servers.
The Apple IIgs is unable to see NT4 and 2000 AppleShare servers on a flat network with one Appletalk zone (*). To make servers visible, you must use a hardware router (eg GatorBox or Fastpath) with Appletalk seed routing enabled or you must enable the AppleTalk routing service on your Windows server. I don't know if this problem exists with NT 3.1 or 3.5 servers. Windows Server 2003 has not been tested by me for Apple II support.
Many people believe that Novell produced the best third party AppleShare server during the 1990's. NetWare was designed for professional network administrators so it is hard work to install and manage. I won't try to explain how you configure NetWare -- buy yourself a decent volume from a second-hand bookshop.
Novell's AppleShare implementation broke some of Apple's rules and from MacOS 8.1 errors occur when copying files to/from a NetWare 3.x server. For MacOS 8.1, install the Finder from MacOS 8.0 to correct this problem. For MacOS 8.5 and 8.6, install Connectix SpeedDoubler which changes how the Finder copies files. There is no solution for MacOS 9.x. I do not know whether the same error occurs with NetWare 4.x.
A series of Mac clients that use Novell's IPX network protocol were also developed for NetWare 3.x and 4.x.
Novell had lost interest in AppleShare by the time that NetWare 5 shipped. Macintosh support was handed over to ProSoft who continue to develop products for Mac OS X and for classic Mac OS (System 7.6.1 to 9.2.2). The ProSoft NetWare Client for classic Mac OS uses Novell's IPX network protocol to talk to a NetWare server. ProSoft's Mac OS X NetWare client uses TCP/IP. Further comment on ProSoft's current products are out of scope of these pages.
This page last updated: 16 October 2005
Copyright information: If you wish to use any images on these pages, please contact the author, Phil Beesley on beesley@mandrake.demon.co.uk.