[nycbug-talk] Noob networking question

[Brad Schonhorst]

On 7/21/06, Marco Scoffier <marco at metm.org> wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 21, 2006 at 12:37:49PM -0400, Brad Schonhorst wrote:
> >> AFP, Apple Filing Protocol, is the protocol that Macs prefer to use
> >> for file sharing. Has very little to do with AppleTalk these days
> >> other than it's one of the few protocols that actually works over
> >> AppleTalk. TCP is the way to go.
> >>
> >
> >I guess that was my question.  When referring to 'AppleTalk File
> >Sharing' are you speaking of AFP?  My understanding was that AFP used
> >to use Appletalk net protocol but now uses TCP port 548.
> >
> >So does the atalk service provide appletalk service (like netatalk) or
> >AFP over TCP/IP or something else altogether?
> >
> I think I can answer this one.  I was sloppy with the terms before.
> Older OS 9 couldn't do AFP over TCP/IP.  So I had to run atalkd
> and afpd, now you can run afp over tcp/ip.  The FreeBSD man pages and
> config file were a great source of demystification on this one.  Atalkd
> runs the appletalk protocol on Unix, and afpd runs the AppleTalk Filing
> Protocol (confusing).  AFP does not require AppleTalk.

Thanks for the clarification.  I had never heard AFP refered to as
AppleTalk Filing Protocol usually just Apple File Protocol.  I guess
its the same idea but since its TCP/IP the 'talk' name threw me for a
loop.

>
> >> As said before, you definitely want to use bonjour/mDNS for
> >> announcing the service. Even if you did have some old Mac OS 9
> >> machines on the network, you'd still want to be using mDNS for the
> >> sake of the newer boxes.
> >>
>
> I'm looking up mDNS now.  What are the advantages of this on OSX ?
> Basically everything is hardwired in this small office.  I'm the only
> tech support and I go in like 3 times a year.  They aren't doing
> anything on their own, not even plugging in a new printer... :)
>
> --
> Marco
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