How to Set Up an Appletalk Network

AppleTalk is an inexpensive local area network architecture. It supports Ethernet as well as Token Ring and Apple's LocalTalk. You can connect your OS 9 Mac with one or more other Mac computers and create your own AppleTalk network in OS 9.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Ethernet cable for each computer
• Ethernet hub or switch
• Two or more Macintosh computers with Ethernet ports (server and terminals)

Set up the Hardware

1. Connect the Ethernet cables to the hub and to the Ethernet port on each of your computers.
2. Use the hub as the central connector between all the computers in your AppleTalk network.
3. Realize you can also use a switch which will cost more but will provide a faster connection.

Configure Your Mac for AppleTalk

4. Click the Apple menu and then "Control Panels." Next, click on "Extensions Manager." Be sure that AppleTalk and file sharing are both turned on.
5. Check to make sure that the following extensions are also turned on: Apple Enet, AppleShare, Sharing Extension, File Sharing Library, Open Transport and OpenTPT extensions. Click "OK."
6. Click on the "Users and Groups" tab. Click whether you want guests to access your network. Add new users as necessary--one for each terminal that you want to be able to access the network. Close the window when you are finished.
7. Click the File menu and "Get Info," then click "Sharing."
8. Turn on sharing for each folder that you want users to be able to access. To do this, click on the specific folder from your hard drive. Select "Get Info" and click the box for "Share this item and its contents." Next, choose the permissions you want each user to have. Finally, repeat these steps on each computer that is connected to the AppleTalk network you just set up.

Open Connections

9. Click the Apple menu and select "Chooser," then click on the AppleShare icon. You should see a listing for each computer connected to the network. If you do not, it is turned off or you did not connect it correctly. Click on the name of a computer that you want to connect with.
10. Choose "Guest" or "Registered User" as appropriate. When you are finished, click "Connect."
11. Highlight the name of the hard drive in the window that pops up after you click "Connect." Click "OK" and you should see an icon for that hard drive on your desktop.
12. Repeat these steps on each computer that you set up to be on the AppleTalk network.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also add printers and other peripherals to your network and share them among the network computers. For example, you could have five Macs connected to a single printer. All five computers could then use that printer.

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