TITLE
    Macintosh Chooser: GetZoneList Command Times Out
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		10044
4/13/92
4/13/92
TOPIC




    We have a problem with the Chooser command GetZoneList timing out when
    dialing in to a WAN over 2400 baud modems. We want this command to allow
    enough time to find all of the zones.

    Our network has 56 zones. Users dial in from all types of Macintosh and
    Outbound computers, and from all over the country. They dial in to Shiva
    devices including Telebridges, NetModems, and NetSerials. Most (90%)
    connections are at 2400 baud. (We chose not to use AppleTalk Remote
    Access, since it requires a dedicated Macintosh and System 7.) After
    establishing a connection, we open the Chooser and get one of two results:

    - No zones appear (the GetZoneList times out before returning ANY packets),
    or
    - 38 to 40 zones appear (the GetZoneList times out after the first packet).

    AppleTalk Remote Access software traps the GetZoneList and freezes the
    zones. How can we make it work with our network?

DISCUSSION


    The Chooser isn't well-suited to all WAN topologies. But it's actually
    tuned and works well for local area network environments and high bandwidth
    WAN links.

    The Chooser isn't broken. The Shiva dial-in products push the current
    Chooser past its intended use, without offering an alternative. To fix
    this, Shiva could:

    - Implement a Shiva-specific Chooser for use with their dial-in AppleTalk
    products, or

    - Patch the GetZoneList call in the remote Macintosh computers to function
    more like AppleTalk Remote Access.

    AppleTalk Remote Access is a good example of how to develop a remote
    AppleTalk product within the present GetZoneList parameters.




Document Information
Product Area: Communications-Networking
Category: LocalTalk-EtherTalk-Token Ring
Sub Category: General Topics

Copyright © 2000 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.