Path: kernighan.cs.umass.edu!barrett From: steve@bh01.demon.co.uk (Stephen Bridges) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Subject: REVIEW: Envoy 2.0b networking software Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.networking Date: 24 Dec 1996 15:15:51 GMT Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett Lines: 201 Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator) Distribution: world Message-ID: <59os37$hb4@kernighan.cs.umass.edu> Reply-To: steve@bh01.demon.co.uk (Stephen Bridges) NNTP-Posting-Host: knots.cs.umass.edu Keywords: networking, SANA-II, commercial X-Review-Number: Volume 1996 Number 36 Originator: barrett@knots.cs.umass.edu PRODUCT NAME Envoy 2.0b BRIEF DESCRIPTION Networking software for use with any networking hardware with standard SANA-II drivers. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Name: Intangible Assets Manufacturing Address: 828 Ormond Avenue Drexel Hill PA 19026-2604 USA FAX: (610) 853-3733 (technical support) E-Mail: envoy-help@iam.com (technical support) Envoy is Copyright 1985-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc. All changes in Envoy from 1.6a to 2.0 are: Copyright 1994-1995 Intangible Assets Manufacturing. LIST PRICE $54.95 (US) SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE Sane use of Amiga Envoy requires two or more Amiga computers. :-) One megabyte of RAM on each system is required; more is recommended. At least one machine must have a hard disk. Hard disk installation requires 300K free in SYS:. Each Amiga to be networked must have similar networking hardware with a SANA-II driver. SOFTWARE Each Amiga must be running at least AmigaOS 2.04. MACHINES USED FOR TESTING A1200T Blizzard 1230IV/SCSI Multiface III Kickstart 3.0 Workbench 3.0 A3000 Picasso II+ Kickstart 3.1 Workbench 3.0 Connected by their parallel ports with magPLIP 37.8 (written by Marius G. Groeger, available on Aminet in comm/net) INSTALLATION Envoy uses the standard Amiga Installer program. If you are planning to use a Commodore Ethernet Card or the new AmiLink Networking hardware (which uses the floppy ports) then the installation goes off without a hitch. If like me you want to use either the serial or parallel ports with a PD SANA-II driver, then you are asked a couple of awkward questions about IP and ARP packets. Also the Installer didn't ask about setting driver unit numbers which in my case caused some confusion. Though this was easily changed in the configuration program after installation. REVIEW Amiga Envoy is the standard networking software package for the Amiga. With it, Amigas can transparently share files and printers. After installation I had to run the export filesystem configuration program, on each computer, and decide which volumes and directories I wanted the other machine to "see". Then I had to run the import filesystem configuration program, on both machines, and choice which volumes or directories that that computer will mount. Each volume that I imported to a machine (exported by the other) was given a DOSDriver, and these can be put in Devs:DOSDrivers or WBStartup to be run at start-up. The only problem that I found was that the two computers would boot at different rates, and the A1200T would not find the A3000's hard drive and would stop until the A3000 caught up. When finally set up the network works perfectly, with the A3000's volumes appearing on the A1200T and visa-versa. As I'm using the (built in) parallel ports, the transfer speed isn't marvelous, but is quite acceptable at 30K/sec. This isn't a problem with Envoy but with the hardware I am using. I have a SCSI CD-ROM drive and Zip drive attached to the A1200T and these are exported to the A3000, where all the disk changes are recognised, and the new names of the disks displayed. Cool. I have an Internet connection (on the A1200T/Multiface) with AmiTCP, running at start-up, and there are no compatibility problems at all. In fact I am able to download files, from the .net, direct to a directory on the A3000. Setting up a shared printer is much the same as a filesystem, with one machine exporting the printer and the other importing it. I was worried that as my printer is connected to the MultiFace III card on the A1200T, (which means I have to run a patch to redirect the output from the parallel.device to pit.device) and that I would have problems. But no, when network printing is enabled the A3000 quite happily uses the A1200T's printer. There are plenty of security features, but as they are not covered in the dismal guide I cannot comment on whether they work or not. But as both machines are mine and are in the same room, this doesn't matter to me. DOCUMENTATION No manual was included in the package. The only document is an AmigaGuide file. This may be a fine "green" move by the authors but I really like to have something to read on the toilet. :-) The AmigaGuide file is not even a complete guide to Envoy's inner workings as it quite happily states at the beginning. The authors recommend that you buy another of their products (a book) to learn about the more complex workings of Envoy. THIS IS A RIP OFF. SUPPORT I have had no need of technical support, but the guide states; "Intangible Assets Manufacturing offers no free telephone support for Envoy. Questions will be answered in the UseNet comp.sys.amiga.networking newsgroup, and in the Communications section of the CompuServe AmigaUser forum. IAM also offers free technical support via email, fax and mail." LIKES Once setup the "networking" becomes invisible, the other computers drives/volumes appear to be on your machine. DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS As mentioned before, the documentation REALLY needs improving. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS I've never tried anything similar so I am unable to comment. WARRANTY From the documentation; "The product is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.... The entire risk as to use, results and performance of the product is assumed by you and should the product prove to be defective, you assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair or other remediation." Though I assume that faulty disks would be exchanged by the vendor. CONCLUSIONS In the end it worked well and does everything I want. It's just a pity about the docs. 4 out of 5 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright 1996 Stephen Bridges --- Accepted and posted by Daniel Barrett, comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator Send reviews to: amiga-reviews-submissions@math.uh.edu Request information: amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu Moderator mail: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu Anonymous ftp site: math.uh.edu, in /pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews Web site: ftp://math.uh.edu/pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews/index.html