Re: Networking Options

["Art Tostaine, Jr." <atostain@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Michael J. Guzak wrote:

> I have remote sites with PCs and 5250 terminals connected to an AS/400.  
>Currently all devices are attached via twinax (even PCs).  The remotes connect 
>through Perle and IBM 5494 controllers over frame relay.  I plan to install an 
>NT server and connect it to the AS/400 via ethernet and run TCP/IP. Can 
>someone please tell me if I add ethernet cards to the remote workstation 
>controllers [and remote PCs] if they will be able to access the NT server for 
>purposes of file and printer sharing, email, Internet access, etc.  Since some 
>older devices will still have to be supported, we will have to support both 
>TCP/IP and SNA.
>

I don't think the perle will "convert" your TCP/IP traffic to flow over the SNA 
frame relay.

With ethernet card in Perle, you configure PC support, Client Access, Netsoft, 
whatever to talk to that card's addresss (instead of AS/400's), and then Perle 
converts TCPIP to SNA to transmit over comm line.

What you want is both SNA traffic and TCPIP traffic on the Frame Relay.

Get a router with SNA conversion service (sometimes called SLICS).  3com, 
cisco, all know about this feature.  We used Crosscomm because the reseller we 
order most AS/400 related peripherals (Sys/3x warehouse) recommended them.

With router installed, PC's at remote location reference NT and AS/400's 
ethernet address just like they were on the local lan.

The config that you describe is exactly what we had and what we wanted.  
Everything works great now.  BTW, I had to configure the router and that STUNK! 
 My first time.  Buy as much support from the router company that you can 
afford.  IF you are new to the TCP/IP world, get a contract where they will 
configure it for you.

The SDLC conversion service was the hardest thing to configure.  The Crosscomm 
software named every matching AS/400 parameter different.  They really wanted 
station address of AS/400 controller, but they called it XYZ or whatever.

--
Art Tostaine, Jr.
Creative Computer Associates, Inc.
Parlin, NJ
atostaine@crecomp.com


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