Zones

An AppleTalk zone is a logical grouping of devices that enables users to locate and access network services in the Chooser or other application. A zone name is a logical name associated with some or all of the services on a network or set of networks.

When you configure AppleTalk zone names in the router, the zone names are a top-level organizer in the Chooser. A user selects the zone name that indicates where a service is located; for example, a zone named Building 1 or Accounting could indicate where a server resides. When you click a service icon (for example, a printer icon) and select a zone name, the following events occur:

1. The Macintosh sends out NBP Broadcast Request packets.
2. The router sends the NBP requests to the networks associated with the selected zone name and forwards them to other routers when appropriate.
3. The routers directly connected to the networks associated with the selected zone broadcast the NBP request to all nodes in the zone.
4. AppleTalk services in the selected zone send NBP reply packets back to the Macintosh that originated the request, which displays the services' names in the Chooser.

For more information about zones, refer to:

• Multiple Zones on a Network
• How Zone Information Is Maintained on an Internetwork
• Zones List Change on an Internetwork