Networking DOS to Unix (Know about commercial products...)

[L. Hirschbiegel]

In article <24479 at well.sf.ca.us> nlane at well.sf.ca.us (Nathan D. Lane) writes:
>
>I would like to know if anyone knows anything about making a Unix machine
>a file server for a DOS-based network.  I'm trying to hide Unix boxes
>as network file servers until the world realizes how great Unix is :)!
>I know about PC-Interface and PC-NFS, but the licensing fees are very, very
>stiff - why would anyone want Unix at $300.00 a pop if they could have
                                                             ^^^^^^^^^^
>Novell for less?  Any PD products on the net?  They just need to provide
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Unix file and print services to PCs via a PC-style F: mapped drive to
>a Unix file-system (Telnet on TCP/IP won't do, these people want to see
>DOS, dir, copy, word, etc....)
>
>Thanks in advance.  (Please e-mail leads and I will submit a summary.)
>
>-Nathan Lane
>Digital Technology Service, Santa Barbara, CA

I disagree. We are using a 50+ user Novell network and also a 20+ user
PC-Interface network here. The price for Netware 3.1 here in germany
was a hefty 8000 $, and thats JUST the base system.
Want some TCP/IP? Sure, just another $$$ PLUS a dedicated workstation.
Want some good CCmail system and SMTP? Sure, just another 4000$ PLUS a 
dedicated workstation.
Want some NFS? Sure, just...
Want some bigger (>1GB) harddisk? Sure, but since Netware keeps its
disk caches/buffers/tables completely in memory (for speed reasons) you
may need some more RAM. Too bad, if your machine cannot cope with more
than 16MB...  Just buy a bigger one!

In contrast look at a PC-Interface based DOS-LAN. You name it, you have it!
Full UNIX, TCP/IP, SMTP, NFS, hundreds (:-) of mail systems, even SLIP
connections and things like that.  File services are the same as for "pure"
DOS-LANs, but additionally users can log into the UNIX server and/or
even start remote job executions there (from DOS!). All our wide area
network routers speak TCP/IP and DECnet, so there is no need to setup
expansive gateways for IPX<->Rest_Of_The_World. No extra cost for all
that. And don't forget: your server is still a full workstation
under UNIX or maybe under VPIX/DOS (if the user insists on that:-()
Just to put things right: this is no Netware bashing. I've just found it
much cheaper to build up a UNIX based DOS-LAN - and I've done it
now a couple of times.

L. Hirschbiegel

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L. Hirschbiegel, AEG Produktionsautomatisierung, Frankfurt (Germany)
unido!aega84!lh                                     -46-69-66414316
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