Configuring Appletalk

Author: Jason Peterson

AppleTalk is a protocol suite developed by Apple Computer in the early 1980s, was developed in conjunction with the Macintosh computer. AppleTalk's purpose was to allow multiple users to share resources, such as files and printers. The devices that supply these resources are called servers, while the devices that make use of these resources (such as a user's Macintosh computer) are referred to as clients. Hence, AppleTalk is one of the early implementations of a distributed client/server networking system. This tutorial briefly describes how to configure Appletalk on a Cisco router.

The Config

To make changes to the configuration, you must enter "enable" mode first.

cisco>enable
Password: 
cisco#

cisco#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

appletalk routing must be enabled first. Use the following command:

cisco(config)#appletalk routing

Each interface can now be configured with an Appletalk network cable range and interface network/node number.

A host in an extended AppleTalk network is always identified by its network and node number. Dynamic address resolution when a router is not present includes the assignment of a random network number within a small range, as well as a node number. When a router is present in the network, a node starts up using its newly acquired address for a short period of time. It then immediately requests a list of valid network numbers from the router. The node then uses these to determine its actual AppleTalk address by selecting an unassigned address.

What is a cable-range?

Cables have ranges of network numbers and multiple zones that may exist on them, so that a node can access anything that is in any of the zones that are on the same cable as the node itself. But the node can exist in only one zone and on only one network.

Additionally, each Cisco interface can be configured with an Appletalk zone. Appletalk zones are conceptual groupings of Appletalk hosts and devices. It is very similar to Microsoft workgroups.

cisco(config)#interface Ethernet 3/0
cisco(config-if)#appletalk cable-range 504-506 504.1
cisco(config-if)#appletalk zone marketing 

In the above example, 504-506 is the Appletalk cable-range. 504.1 is the Cisco's address in that range.

cisco(config-if)#interface Ethernet 3/1
cisco(config-if)#appletalk cable-range 507-509 507.1
cisco(config-if)#appletalk zone operations
cisco(config-if)#interface Ethernet 3/2
cisco(config-if)#appletalk cable-range 510-512 510.1
cisco(config-if)#appletalk zone support

Once finished, "end" will exit configuration mode.

note: the Macs will have to be rebooted to see the new Appletalk zones. Upon bootup, the Macs will pick an unused address from the cable-range advertised by the Cisco. The zones will also be available.

To verify the configuration, use the "sho running" command:

!
version 12.0
service timestamps debug uptime
service timestamps log uptime
no service password-encryption
!
hostname cisco
!
enable password cisco 
!
ip subnet-zero
appletalk routing
!
!
!
!
!
interface Ethernet3/0
  ip address 192.168.1.254 255.255.255.0
  no ip directed-broadcast
  appletalk cable-range 504-506 504.1
  appletalk zone marketing
!
interface Ethernet3/1
  no ip address
  no ip directed-broadcast
  ip pim dense-mode
  appletalk cable-range 507-509 507.1
  appletalk zone operations
!
interface Ethernet3/2
  no ip address
  no ip directed-broadcast
  appletalk cable-range 510-512 510.1
  appletalk zone support
!
interface Ethernet3/3
  no ip address
  no ip directed-broadcast
!
ip default-gateway 192.168.1.254
ip classless
!
!
!
line con 0
  transport input none
line aux 0
  line vty 0 4
  password cisco 
  login
!
end

For More information

• Original Source for this tutorial