NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/vmsnet/networks/desktop/pathwork/3865

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-24 | 1.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!network.ucsd.edu!mvb.saic.com!mala.bc.ca!dunnett
From: [e-mail] (Malcolm Dunnett)
Newsgroups: vmsnet.networks.desktop.pathworks
Subject: Re: LAT Parallel Print Servers
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 19 Dec 92 09:41:35 -0700
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Organization: Malaspina College
Lines: 32


  Another possibility if you have Pathworks ( which I assume most
folks reading this group do ) :

  Take your favourite noname 386SX clone ( stripped down versions can be
had for $300-400 ), buy a Pathworks client license for it ($200 or so ), an
Ethernet Card ($150-200) and a couple of parallel ports.

  Make up a boot disk which installs LAT and serves the local printer
ports(s) over LAT. There's no need to set the box up as a full client
or connect to a file service - all we're interested in is LAT. You will
need to assign it a DECNet node number, but as you won't actually be
using DECNet the number can be any arbitrary one, even if it's not in
your regular areas.

  The instructions for all of this are in the Pathworks documentation,
you may need to do a bit of tweaking to get reasonable performance out
of it.

  You now have a 1 or 2 port LAT only parallel print server for a cost of
around $800.

Note: the only reason I say you need to already have Pathworks is that
you need the DOS client kit, and buying one just to build a print server
doesn't seem reasonable. You don't need to have Pathworks installed on
the VAXen which will print to this server, it's all done via LAT. YOU
DO NEED A CLIENT LICENSE FOR THE PRINT SERVER.

--
========================================================================
Malcolm Dunnett    Malaspina College         Email: [e-mail]
Computer Services  Nanaimo, B.C. CANADA        Tel: [phone]