Configuring the MacIPX Gateway

The Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 routing software includes MACIPXGW.LAN, a LAN driver that enables your router to operate as a gateway between Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) networks and Macintosh* clients running MacIPX^® applications on AppleTalk networks. Macintosh clients use the MacIPX gateway to exchange data with NetWare clients and to use the resources available on IPX networks.

NOTE:  MacIPX provides support for the IPX protocol on Macintosh computers. It does not enable Macintosh users connected to the IPX network to log in to a NetWare server or print documents on NetWare printers. Users and developers must rely on NetWare for Macintosh software for NetWare file and print services.

This topic contains the following sections:

• Configuring and Binding the Gateway Driver
• Restricting Gateway Service to Selected Networks

You can use the MacIPX gateway if your networks have the following characteristics:

• You have IPX and AppleTalk networks that you want to connect and these networks are part of a LAN running NetWare 3.11 or later, or the NetWare MultiProtocol Router^TM 2.0 software or later. The MacIPX gateway must run on one of these networks.
• Your AppleTalk networks support MacIPX clients.
• One or more of the networks use only the AppleTalk protocol family to connect Macintosh clients to the network.

From a user perspective, the MacIPX gateway is required only for Macintosh users who select the AppleTalk icon in the MacIPX Control Panel. If all Macintosh users select either the Ethernet or Token Ring icon, and if IPX traffic is permitted on those networks, then you do not need a MacIPX gateway.

MacIPX applications automatically select an IPX gateway only when the gateway is in the zone that contains the Macintosh client running MacIPX. If this is not the case, use the MacIPX Control Panel to configure MacIPX to look for IPX gateways in specific zones.

You should locate a MacIPX gateway so that the amount of configuration required by MacIPX is minimized. For example, if you have an AppleTalk network for dial-in users that provides service for AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA), you should ensure that a MacIPX gateway serves the AppleTalk zone that includes the ARA network so that Macintosh clients using ARA do not require MacIPX configuration.

Configuring and Binding the Gateway Driver

Configuring the MacIPX gateway is similar to configuring a typical LAN board and binding a network protocol to the board.

Before you begin, you must complete the following tasks:

• Ensure that your router has at least 65 KB of RAM available.
• Ensure that APPLETLK.NLM is loaded and configured.
• Ensure that IPX packet forwarding is turned on.
• Know the network number of the IPX network to which the gateway interface is attached.
• Know the number of MacIPX clients that will be served by the gateway.

To configure the MacIPX gateway, complete the following steps:

1. Load NIASCFG, then select the following parameter path:

   Select Configure NIAS > Protocols and Routing > Boards > Press Ins > MACIPXGW

2. Configure the MACIPXGW driver.

   1. Select Board Name and assign a name to the gateway driver.

   2. Select Gateway Name and assign a name to the MacIPX gateway.

      This name is used to advertise the MacIPX gateway on the AppleTalk network. Because the name appears in the MacIPX Control Panel, it should be one that users recognize easily.

      If you do not provide a name, the MacIPX gateway uses the name of the router on which the MacIPX gateway is installed.

   3. Select Unicast Threshold and enter a value between 1 (the default value) and 4294967295.

      This parameter controls how the MacIPX gateway propagates IPX broadcast packets to AppleTalk networks.

      If you want to send IPX broadcast packets to all AppleTalk networks with MacIPX clients, enter a number less than the number of MacIPX clients served by the gateway.

      Macintosh systems not running MacIPX applications do not understand IPX broadcast packets and discard them. When this option is used, unnecessary packets are distributed to non-MacIPX clients on the network.

      If you want to send IPX broadcast packets to each MacIPX client, enter a number equal to or higher than the number of MacIPX clients served by the gateway.

      If the number of clients exceeds this threshold, the MacIPX gateway starts sending broadcast packets. Using this option can increase network traffic because a single IPX broadcast packet could become many AppleTalk unicast packets, depending on the number of MacIPX clients.

   4. If you want to enter a note or comment about the gateway, select Comment and enter the information.

   5. Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu; save your changes when prompted.

3. Bind IPX to the gateway.

   Binding IPX to the gateway causes the MacIPX Gateway icon to appear in the MacIPX Control Panel.

   1. Select the following parameter path:

      Select Bindings > Press Ins > IPX > the MacIPX interface

   2. Select IPX Network Number and enter the network number of the IPX network to which the interface is attached.

4. Press Esc to return to the Internetworking Configuration menu; save your changes when prompted.

5. If you want these changes to take effect immediately, select Reinitialize System .

   If you want to configure other parameters, do so now, then reinitialize the system when you are finished.

Restricting Gateway Service to Selected Networks

The MacIPX gateway, by default, serves all AppleTalk networks that make up the AppleTalk cloud. If you want the gateway to serve only selected AppleTalk networks, you must use a configuration file called MACIPXGW.DAT, which resides in SYS:SYSTEM.

You indicate the AppleTalk networks you want the gateway to serve---or not serve---by placing commands in MACIPXGW.DAT with the following syntax:

[exclude | include]

<net_number >[-net_number ]

. . . ]

The first line in the preceding example is a keyword that specifies the following modes of inclusion:

• exclude ---Directs the MacIPX gateway to serve all AppleTalk networks except those whose numbers are listed on the following lines.
• include ---Directs the MacIPX gateway to serve only networks whose numbers are listed on the following lines; this is the default mode if no keyword is specified.

The AppleTalk networks can appear as a number or range. You specify additional network numbers or ranges by placing each network on its own line. For example, a MACIPXGW.DAT file can contain the following command:

exclude

10-20

This directs the gateway to serve all AppleTalk networks except 10-20 and 100. Alternatively, the MACIPXGW.DAT file can contain the following command:

include

10-20

This directs the gateway to serve only AppleTalk networks 10-20 and 100, excluding all others.

NOTE:  The network numbers in these examples are AppleTalk network numbers, not IPX network numbers.

If no MACIPXGW.DAT file is found in SYS:SYSTEM, the MacIPX gateway serves all AppleTalk networks.

To restrict gateway service to selected AppleTalk networks, complete the following steps:

1. Use a DOS ACSII text editor to create a file called MACIPXGW.DAT in the router's SYS:SYSTEM directory.

2. Place commands in the file using the following syntax:

   [exclude | include]

   <net_number >[-net_number ]

   . . . ]

3. Save and close the file.

4. To put your changes into effect, enter

   UNLOAD MACIPXGW

   REINITIALIZE SYSTEM