Thread

Quadra 630 revived to stock, 'About this Mac' odd.

68kMLA Networking 15 posts Mar 21, 2008 to May 14, 2008

#1 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 - 23:20 68kMLA

I got a Quadra 630 from someone on here a few months ago, and it worked great, but it had a newer OS loaded than I like. (I like having the earliest possible OS on my computers.)

Today in my disk collection, I found that I have a set of Quadra 630 disks! I just finished installing System 7.1.2P on it, and found an oddity. The 'About this Macintosh' window not only doesn't show the model name, it shows a large Apple logo in place of the model picture! (Not even the 'generic Mac' icon like in later Mac OS releases.)

(If you're wondering about the high amount of System memory usage, I tend to run my vintage computers from RAM drives whenever possible to extend the life of the hard drive.)

At the same time, I managed to find a PowerBook Duo Disk Tools disk that includes the enabler for the 280/280c, so now my 280c is running 7.1 instead of the 7.6.1 it came with. Finally, I have my PowerBook 100 running 7.1.1 Pro off its hard drive, and 6.0.8L off its RAM drive.

Although it's really screwed up, I can't get the three machines to talk over AppleTalk/PhoneNet. I've tried many different PhoneNet connectors, and multiple phone cords, but they all refuse to see each other.

#2 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 00:07 68kMLA

Hrm, I added my beige G3 with AppleShare IP 5.0 installed to the network, they still see nothing. I've tried trading PhoneNet connectors again. It's running Mac OS 8.0, with AppleShare IP 5.0.2. The clients are running (between reboots,) 6.0.8L, 7.1, 7.1.1 Pro, 7.1.2, 7.5.3, and/or 7.6.1. None of them sees any of the others. This is really frustrating!

Anyone have any PhoneNet voodoo tricks they want to share?

#3 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 00:36 68kMLA

If you are using two port PhoneNet connectors, are you using a terminator for the unused port? Sorry for the dumb question, but this is one of those things that usually 'just work'.

#4 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 00:37 68kMLA

Are the termination resistors in place? There needs to be a 150ohm terminator at each end of the network, so if your setup is missing the terminations, that could be your problem.

Also, make sure that you don't form a loop with the cabling. The network architecture isn't a ring.

#5 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 00:57 68kMLA

The terminating resistor should be 120 ohms according to http://ckp.made-it.com/phonenet.html

#6 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 01:29 68kMLA

Thanks for the correction. Luckily, it doesn't much matter. Any value from about 100 ohms to 270 ohms will work just fine, unless you are trying to push the limits of the network.

But thanks for the correction!

#7 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 01:30 68kMLA

Yeah, they're the stock resistors that came with them. I've tried four different resistored connectors in just about every possible configuration. I've tried both the older 'rounded' adapters as well as the newer 'sharp corner' adapters, both in a mix, and with every machine using the same style connector. (I have about 10 PhoneNet adapters.)

I know that all of these adapters worked once upon a time.

#8 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 02:02 68kMLA

Yeah, it's next to impossible that they're ALL bad. It's just that Appletalk usually is so simple to set up - everyone just assumes it's a hardware issue. Strange.

#9 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 03:58 68kMLA

Ensure you are using 4 wire cable - PhoneNET uses the outer two wires, and therefore you must use 4 wire cable - 2 wire cable only has the inner two wires, and therefore won't work.

#10 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 - 23:47 68kMLA

Ensure you are using 4 wire cable - PhoneNET uses the outer two wires, and therefore you must use 4 wire cable - 2 wire cable only has the inner two wires, and therefore won't work.

Ah, yes. That was it. I thought I had grabbed 4-wire cords, but they weren't. Swapping phone cords, and all is well.

Now I just need to figure out how to get AppleShare IP to bridge Ethernet to MacIP-over-LocalTalk... (I want to browse the 'net on my Duo connected solely via LocalTalk.)

#11 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 - 09:10 68kMLA

For the routing problem, i seem to remember using IPNetRouter or something to that effect, and weirdly, it worked!

#12 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 - 18:10 68kMLA

Many of the phone cords shipped with modems only have two conductors. So they must be checked carefully or this problem rears its ugly head.

#13 Wed, 14 May 2008 - 12:04 68kMLA

The PhoneNet connectors use the outer 2 wires so they can be run on the same connectors as your phone wiring (which only uses the inner 2) if all 4 wires in your phone sockets are connected.

#14 Wed, 14 May 2008 - 16:22 68kMLA

teh apple logo thing in the about this mac box seems to be normal in system 7.1.2P. my 630 with 7.1.2P on it had the same apple logo in the about box.

#15 Wed, 14 May 2008 - 22:55 68kMLA

Might your PBs have internal modems ? In a PB 160/180 the internal modem prevents the external modem port from operation. LocalTalk remains usable on the printer port, still. (Some models have just two serial ports. One is shared between the internal and external modem connector. The external connector becomes disabled when an internal modem is in place.)