Re: ASCII workstation controller

[Jerome Draper <jdraper@xxxxxxx>]

I have used the Dial3x with the 5208 protocol computer which was the
predecessor to the ASCII workstation controller.  The AWC added the 5150
APPC device type but it sounds like you're not using it.  The AWC was
discontinued in the newer RISC AS/400 leaving them devoid of simple, fast,
async dialup because of the change to the PCI buss system (the AWC is of
the SDM buss type).

In my daily life I recommend, sell, and support fast async dialup solutions
to AS/400 midrange.  It's one of my claims to fame.  I actually build a PC
to do this job.  There are several different options.  

First off, I discourage protocol converters as a dinasaur technology with
limited functionality.  If you have it and it works use it.  If you're
making a new investment, you can better spend your money elsewhere.

If you can TCP/IP into your AS400 somehow that is probably your best
solution.  At the PC you use dialup networking to establish your connection
and then a 5250 TCP/IP client for display, printer, and/or file transfer (I
recommend the new Synapse NetWolf TCP/IP client).  TCP/IP will work if your
AS400 is attached to the net directly or via a firewall or if via an WinNT
RAS dialup box which can be populated with many modems by using serial
expansion cards (I recommend Comtrol Rocketport).  The WinNT RAS box
implies an ethernet connection to the AS400 which is pretty much standard
today.  This solution also gives you access to your LAN if you have one but
having a LAN is not a prerequisite.

Alternately, you can go with one of the LAN dialup boxes like the Shiva or
Perle boxes which provide a similar dialup function into a LAN and also
into the AS/400.  Note that 802.2 does not bind to dialup networking in
Windows so plan to use TCP/IP in these cases.  I don't have a preference here.

Lastly, 

Synapse makes a high speed dialup software product called RemoteAPPC which
runs in any PC attached to the AS/400 any physical way (twinax, SDLC, LAN)
and provides up to 16 simultaneous high speed dialups (using Comtrol
Rocketports) doing display, printer, and/or file transfer.  The PC can be
any 486 or better PC (you know, the worthless ones junked up in the back
room).  I build an $800 PC for this purpose (simple P5II, 300mhz, 32MB,
3.2GB, etc. -- believe it or not this is the slowest I can buy today).

So, there's three ways to slice your cheese just like Green Bay did to the
Niners last Sunday.  Sliced and diced big time.

Jerry


At 07:52 PM 11/2/98 -0500, you wrote:
>On an AS/400 at V3R7, with an ASCII workstation controller, and a 9600
baud modem, what is the right way to connect?  The client is using Dial-3x
and complains of it being painfully slow.
>
>-- 
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>boothm@ibm.net
>Booth Martin
>-----------------------------------------------------------


Jerry Draper, Trilobyte Software Systems, since 1976
Specializing in connecting PC's, Windows, MAC's, and LAN's to the AS/400
Representing Synapse, Apple, IBM, UDS, Nlynx, MI, DCI, Netsoft, etc.
(415) 457-3431; (415) 258-1658fax; jdraper@wco.com
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