Subject: Re: zone question

From: [email-masked] (Steve Davidson)
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 97 11:32:19 -0400

> >as far as I know, you cant define a zone on one network interface only!
>
> does this mean that i can't setup a zone in my apartment with just one
> ethernet card in my linux box?  i figured that to have two zones i would
> need two linux boxes but i already have that.  this is most distressing.

I no longer have a copy of the "AppleTalk Network System Overview" or I
would provide you with a direct quote.  I will, however, paraphrase:

       An AppleTalk zone is a logical grouping of AppleTalk
       networks in an inter-network configuration.  An AppleTalk
       network maps into a segment or wire.  An inter-network is
       two or more AppleTalk networks (combinations of EtherTalk,
       LocalTalk, and/or TokenTalk) that interact through an
       AppleTalk router.

One wire?  Zones are irrelevant.  Two wires?  If they are connected via a
routing device, then Zones _*can*_ be defined (but why?).  Since netatalk
does not _*route*_ AppleTalk (unless Wes has performed some magic without
telling us), two interfaces on two different nets does not an AppleTalk
inter-network make.

Even so, the reason to define zones is to simplify the grouping of network
resources for the user (as they appear in the Chooser) -- and to reduce
broadcast traffic  -- on a large diverse inter-networked LAN.  Other than
for the purpose of experimentation, can there be any reason for subdividing
an apartment LAN into zones?

===============================================================
     Dr. Steven A. Davidson         [email-masked]
     MIT Lincoln Laboratory
     244 Wood Street                (617) 981-3901 - Office
     Lexington, MA 02173-9108       (617) 981-6339 - Fax
===============================================================
  Comments expressed in this message are strictly my own and
 are not to be construed as statements endorsed by my employer
===============================================================

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From: Andrew Watson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 12:21:02 -0400

i just thought it would be fun to do.  i like to experiment with stuff.
i'm working on setting up multiple domains in my samba config even though
we only have two windows machines in the whole apartment.

andrew watson

System Administrator and Official Mascot
Interactive Distance Learning Office
Florida State University
http://www.idl.fsu.edu and http://mac.idl.fsu.edu
http://www.gleep.org

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From: Bill Studenmund <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 12:26:20 -0700 (PDT)

> an apartment LAN into zones?

For just an appartment, it is kinda silly. But say you have a company with
a number of macs in different logical groups. Or on different floors.
There, even though you might only have one wire, having multiple zones can
make sense.

Take care,

Bill