1999 – GA writes: I read this article (Using a IIcx for Shared Internet Access) and liked it. I use IPNetRouter at my wife’s office (I guess that means she used it) for five Macs sharing a DSL line. Here in USWest-land, you must use the DSL modem/bridge they provide or they won’t support you. Also, it must be physically connected to a single machine (i.e. not into a hub – which is a security risk anyway).
They wouldn’t even let me try it if I installed the second ethernet card, so we had to verify the connection with my laptop.
My question is: How can I dial into this network from home and (1) get on the Web (making my wife my ISP) and (2) be part of the network for file sharing/printing (as if I’m there but happen to have a slow 56K connection instead of the regular 10 Mbps from ethernet?
Since we are running an “illegal” network (192.168.0.x), I assume I can just hard-code the IP address and router into my machine at home (just like I do for the Macs in the office). I’m not sure what I need on either end.
On the office end, I know I need a phone line and a modem, but I am not sure what else. On the client end, I assume I can set TCP/IP to connect via PPP. How do I get AppleTalk to go over the modem while I’m dialed in?
Mac Daniel writes: I won’t comment on the legality of connecting more than one computer to an Internet connection, but since only one computer is connected to their modem/bridge, you may be within the letter of the law.
Apple makes a great program, AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA) 3, that lets you connect a remote computer to an AppleTalk/IP network via modem. We have a Quadra 800 set up at work with a 33.6 modem* and ARA 3. Users can dial in, then use both AppleTalk and IP services, including the ISDN line that connects our network to the outside world. Connected users can print to our LaserWriters, upload and download files from our server, access FileMaker Pro databases, and even log onto our minicomputer – then surf the Internet.
Of course, with only a single modem connection, we don’t encourage heavy use of this capability, but a few users have dropped their ISP accounts and use ARA for all their remote access and Internet needs. And you can even tell ARA what IP address to assign the remote user.
- * As detailed on my No Hype 56k Page, there’s no point in having a modem faster than 33.6 kbps for remote access, since regular 56k modems don’t communicate with each other beyond that speed. (ISPs use special 56k receiver modems to allow you faster downloads.)
Keywords: #appletalkremoteaccess
Short link: http://goo.gl/k59gsz
