Looking Up an AppleTalk Service

The Lookup function in ATCON performs similarly to looking up a service in the Macintosh Chooser. When you use the Lookup function, the router sends NBP broadcast requests to the specified zone. AppleTalk services (such as printers or file servers) respond to the request by sending NBP responses to the requester. If an NBP lookup test executes successfully, a window opens, showing the name of the service and its network address.

An NBP lookup is a simple way to test that the router can communicate with services (or a specific service) in an AppleTalk zone. If the lookup succeeds, you know that both the router and the responding service are active on the AppleTalk internet. If the selected zone is one or more hops away, you also know that the routers in-between are working.

To check the status of all AppleTalk services in a zone, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Lookup and Echo Services in the ATCON main menu.

    The Lookup Parameters window opens, with the Available Actions menu below it:


    The Lookup Parameters window contains the default values that NetWare for Macintosh uses when performing the lookup.

  2. In the Available Actions menu, use the arrow keys to select Edit Lookup Parameters and then press <Enter>.

    The NBP Packets menu opens, showing a number of parameters for the Lookup service.

    Figure 83
    NBP Packets

    The lookup parameters you can edit are described in Table 33.


    Table 33. Lookup Test Parameters

    Parameter Name Description

    Name

    The default equals sign (=) means "all." For example, if you specify a type of service in the next field and leave the equals sign here, the Lookup service test asks for the names of all services of that type within a zone. You can enter the name of any service on your internet; for example, you might enter the name of a server, a printer, or a print queue.

    Type

    The default equals sign (=) means "all." In this case, the Lookup service test asks for the names of all services of all types within a zone. You can specify a particular type, such as "LaserWriter" or "AppleShare." (The type of service for a server is "AppleShare.")

    Zone

    Press <Enter> in this field to pop up a list of available zones on the internet. You can use the arrow keys to select a zone in this list and press <Enter> to enter the zone name into the field.

    Number of Retries & Retry Interval

    The default number of Retries is 2, and the default interval between retries is 1 second. The router sends out NBP requests up to two times if it receives no responses.

  3. Use the arrow keys to position the cursor on the Zone field and then press <Enter>.

    This action brings up a list of available zones on the internet:


  4. Use the arrow keys to select a zone name in the list and press <Enter>.

  5. If you wish, enter a service name or type.

    Alternatively, you can leave the default equals sign (=) for a more general Lookup service test.

  6. Press <Esc> and answer Yes to use these settings.

  7. Use the arrow keys to select Execute Lookup Test in the Available Actions menu, and then press <Enter>.

    After a few seconds, you should see the results of the Lookup service. For example, Figure 84 shows the results of a Lookup for a service named "LW-MAIN" of type "LaserWriter."

    Figure 84
    Results of a Lookup Service

The router reports the network and socket address of the service. If the Lookup fails, the name of the service won't appear. If no services are available, a message is displayed.