This document contains important information about Apple Network Assistant version 3.5. You should read it before you install the software.
For a description of the new features in this version of Apple Network Assistant, see Chapter 1 in the Apple Network Assistant User’s Manual.
Installing Apple Network Assistant
To use the Network Assistant program, you must have Mac OS version 7.6.1 or later installed on your administration workstation. For your convenience, a copy of the Mac OS 7.6.1 CD-ROM is included with Apple Network Assistant 3.5.
When you’re ready to install the software, see the instructions in Chapter 2 of the User’s Manual. If you are using Network Assistant version 2.0 or 3.0, you can upgrade your workstations to version 3.5 by following the instructions in “Upgrading Using Network Assistant” in Chapter 2 of the User’s Manual.
Installing Open Transport 1.1.2
For compatibility with Network Assistant, you should have Open Transport version 1.1.2 or later installed on your workstations. Open Transport 1.1.2 is provided in the Extras folder on the Apple Network Assistant CD-ROM disc.
Using Apple Network Assistant 3.5
Improving Performance When Sharing a Screen, Observing, and Controlling
To improve performance when sharing a screen, observing, or controlling workstations, the “Only send changes made by Quick Draw” option in the Preferences dialog box is now selected as the default. While selecting this option improves performance, Network Assistant may not be able to send changes made by some programs that do not use Quick Draw or that use it in non-standard ways. If you want to send changes made by these programs, select the “Send all screen changes” option in the Preferences dialog box.
If the “Only send changes made by Quick Draw” option is selected, make sure you have the same fonts installed on all the workstations. In Network Assistant, you can create a Software Difference report to compare the fonts that are installed on different workstations and then use the Copy Items command to update any workstations that are missing fonts.
In order to improve performance, Network Assistant does not send a desktop picture if the “Only send changes made by QuickDraw” option is selected. If a desktop picture appears on the workstation you are sharing, the desktop appears black.
To improve screen sharing, controlling, and observing performance, we recommend that you use Network Assistant’s Change System Settings command to set all shared screens to the same number of colors. Due to network bandwidth limitations, the selected machines must be set to less than millions of colors to use the “Send all screen changes” command.
For best performance when screen sharing to multiple workstations, we recommend sharing to workstations in the same zone.
Charcoal Font
Mac OS 8 uses the Charcoal font as the system font. If you share the screen of a workstation with Mac OS 8 installed with workstations that do not have Mac OS 8 installed, the screen may not appear correct. You should install the Charcoal font on the workstations that do not have Mac OS 8 installed. If you are using Mac OS 8 on any of the workstations you will be using with Network Assistant, you may want to install the Charcoal font on all the workstations.
The Charcoal font is included in the Extras folder on the Apple Network Assistant CD. To install the font, drag the font file to the System Folder on your hard disk.
Sharing Screens That Are Different Sizes
If a workstation has a monitor that is smaller than the screen you are sharing, you can see only part of the shared screen on the workstation.
If a workstation that you are observing has a monitor larger than your administration workstation, you will only be able to see part of the screen. If you are multi-observing, you will be able to see the whole screen.
Internet Security
IMPORTANT Network Assistant lets you connect to workstations using TCP/IP, the protocol used by the Internet. Because Network Assistant may allow someone to gain access to your workstations from the Internet, you should change the Network Assistant password on all workstations to prevent unauthorized access to your workstations.
Network Assistant uses TCP/IP port number 3283 to communicate with the other workstations. If you have a firewall installed and you want to access workstations on your network from the Internet or workstations at other sites over the Internet, make sure you allow UDP packets with a port number of 3283 through the firewall. If you want to prevent access to and from the Internet, you can block port number 3283.
The Network Address Translation firewall capabilities of the VICOM Internet Gateway prevent Network Assistant clients from communicating through the Gateway. Computers on local or remote IP networks that are not using the Gateway’s Network Address Translation will communicate successfully. For example, a Network Assistant administrator can access workstations remotely by using the PPP dial-in feature of the VICOM Internet Gateway.
Restarting an AppleShare or AppleShare IP server
To avoid potential problems, when restarting an AppleShare or AppleShare IP server, we recommend that you select the “Let users save work” option, rather than the Restart Immediately option.
Renaming an AppleShare or AppleShare IP server
You cannot use Network Assistant’s Rename Workstation command to rename an AppleShare or AppleShare IP server while the server is running.
Copy System Folder
You cannot copy the System Folder of a remote volume mounted on your Administration workstation.
Unavailable Workstations
Some applications, such as screen savers and games, require more of the workstation’s processor time. If one of these programs is open on a workstation, the workstation may appear unavailable in Network Assistant, or you may get a communication error when you try to send a command to the workstation.
Turning on File Sharing
Before using the Change Settings command to turn on file sharing, make sure the workstation has the File Sharing software installed. If File Sharing is not installed on the workstation, no error message appears but you cannot use file sharing. Create a Software Version report to verify that the File Sharing software is installed on other workstations.
Screen Security Applications
If you are controlling a workstation and a screen security application locks your administration screen, you will not be able to enter the password to unlock the screen. You will need to restart your administration workstation.
Wake Up and Sleep Features
To use the wake up and sleep features of Network Assistant 3.5, you must have Energy Saver version 2.0.4 or later installed on your workstations.
Changing a Workstation’s Network Connection
After changing a workstation’s network connection or TCP/IP address, you need to restart the workstation so that Network Assistant can access it.
Searching for Workstations by TCP/IP Address
Searching for workstations over a large range of TCP/IP addresses (over 11,500) may cause network activity to stop temporarily on the administration workstation and you may not see workstations in the Workstation dialog box. If you encounter this situation, we recommend searching smaller ranges of TCP/IP addresses.
Using Apple Remote Access (ARA)
You can use Apple Remote Access to administer workstations remotely with Network Assistant. However, you cannot use Network Assistant to control a workstation connected through ARA.
Using Internet Config
The Change Internet Settings command supports Internet Config 1.4, included in the Extras folder on the Apple Network Assistant CD. If you are using Network Assistant to set up Internet Config, you should install Internet Config on the workstation running Network Assistant.
To use Internet Config, drag it to your hard disk, open the application, and enter the information requested.
Using Disk Copy
When controlling a workstation, double clicking or dragging a disk image item onto the Disk Copy application icon can cause a crash. Instead, you should open Disk Copy and then open the disk image.
