LocalTalk-to-Ethernet bridge

A LocalTalk-to-Ethernet bridge is a network bridge that joins AppleTalk networks running on two different kinds of link – LocalTalk, the lower layers AppleTalk originally used, and Ethernet. This was an important class of products in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before Ethernet support became universal on the Mac lineup.

Some LocalTalk–Ethernet bridges carried only AppleTalk traffic, while others were also able to carry other protocols. LocalTalk only carried AppleTalk traffic directly, but MacIP was a protocol that tunneled Internet Protocol (IP) traffic in AppleTalk. A LocalTalk–Ethernet bridge supporting MacIP allowed e.g. any Macintosh without an Ethernet port to be part of an IP network, such as the Internet.

Examples

Hardware devices:

Asante: AsanteTalk
Cayman Systems: GatorBox
Compatible Systems: Ether Route/TCP, Ether Route II,^[1] RISC Router 3000E^[2]
Dayna Communications: EtherPrint, EtherPrint Plus, EtherPrint-T, EtherPrint-T Plus
Farallon: EtherPrint, EtherWave LocalTalk Adapter, InterRoute/5, StarRouter, EtherMac iPrint Adapter LT
FOCUS Enhancements EtherLAN PRINT
Hayes Inter-bridge
Kinetics: FastPath - in later years, available from Shiva Networks
Sonic Systems: microPrint, microBridge TCP/IP
Transware: EtherWay
Tribe Computer Works: TribeStar
Webster Computer Corporation: MultiGate, MultiPort Gateway, MultiPort/LT^[3]

Software in MacTCP era (<1995):

Apple IP Gateway from Apple Computer^[4]
SuperBridge/TCP from Sonic Systems

Software in Open Transport era (>1995):

Internet Gateway from Vicomsoft
IPNetRouter from Sustainable Softworks
LocalTalk Bridge from Apple Computer

Other Software

macipgw
Netatalk

References

^ Ether Route II User Manual. Compatible Systems.
^ RISC Router 3000E Installation Guide (PDF). Compatible Systems. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
^ "Webster Multiport/Lt Product Guide" (PDF). Vintage Technology Digital Archive. Webster Computer Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
^ Apple IP Gateway press release Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine

External links

[1] Ether Route II User Manual. Compatible Systems.

[2] RISC Router 3000E Installation Guide (PDF). Compatible Systems. Retrieved 29 January 2021.

[3] "Webster Multiport/Lt Product Guide" (PDF). Vintage Technology Digital Archive. Webster Computer Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2020.

[4] Apple IP Gateway press release Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine

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