Parnet Issues

[scuzzb494]

Hi

I have been using Parnet for many years with no issue and have a specially created disk that I carry from machine to machine with the necessary software plus files in respective drawers. I have a little batch of disks that I generally have on me all the time DOpusIV, SnoopDOS, SysInfo and CED.

Yesterday I connected the Parnet cable to an Amiga 2000 running a bogus version of 2.1 [38.35 as opposed to the 38.36] and a Checkmate Amiga 1500 which is actually a hybrid A500 in a metal case running 2.04.

There was already a version of Parnet on the 2000 albeit a single tool that launched the 'mountlist' from devs that uses parnet.device and the l:netpnet-handler. Note that the mountlist that normally exists in Devs for Speak, Aux,Pipe and RAD had been renamed OLD and the items are mounted through mount commands in the startup-sequence.HD. The revised mountlist is identical to the client side Parnet mountlist normally on the Parnet software I use excluding the mouse details.

Anyway, none of this works on the 2000. The launch simply hangs at trying to establish a network connection. On the other hand on the Checkmate just zonks through the processes and in a flash advises All Done and mounts the Network icon on the screen and I am able to copy and tranfer files to the 2000.

No matter how I tried the Parnet on the 2000 it would not work. Client or Host on the Checkmate and in different order.

I decided to junk the Parnet references on the 2000 in C, Devs, L etc and cleaned everything out. I then very carefully installed the software I normally use, and with previous success, to the 2000. I have checked and double checked everything is in place. If have the nodes set up and have edited the drive lists mountlists to reflect the computer hardware.

The A2000 is using a SeriesII GVP with the drive mounted on the card, while the Checkmate uses the old XT590 and a second SCSI drive. The 2000 has standard drive letters DH0: and DH1:

Sadly none of this worked. I have run SnoopDOS and that reports that the machine just hangs at finding network. The Checkmate has no such issue using the exact same software. It finds the 2000 across the Network and I can move files without issue.

One issue that may have something to do with things, or not, is a series of notifications you receive at the lauch of the 2000 boot process... it states

Drive click is off
Star is on
Pipe char is off
Multi command char is off
Alert lasts 540 frames

This appears to be activated by commands in the user-startup

CLICKSTART NOCLICK STAR
;BEGIN SetDevice
run >nil: c:SetDevice
;END SetDEvice

In truth I don't understand any of that....

The previous parnet_on tool reads

netpnet-server UNIT 0
mount net:
netpatch net:
cd net: cd0
echo ""
echo "ALL DONE"

Thats all I have on the problem. Other than I have checked over what I have done so many times and yet cannot find anything out of place. It should be working, but something is preventing the connection with the Checkmate. So far I have added Parnet to the Checkmate via A1200 and A600 [ 3.0 and 2.05] no problem.

Just odd. I would appreciate any hint of something I could check that I haven't already. I just cannot get the 2000 to talk to the Checkmate.

Thanks for reading.

[scuzzb494]

@scuzz

Problem solved. I had been focussing all my efforts on the A2000 given that it was the A2000 that was hanging when I fired up Parnet. What I had forgotten was that the reason all this was happening was that I have a failed SCSI drive on the Checkmate and needed to back it up, so when I used the Checkmate with the 1200 I used my floppy disk version of Workbench that I had customised with Parnet included. I never ran the Checkmate off the disk based Parnet. Further, the Checkmate had a version of Parnet on it so never questioned the install.

I woke this morning thinking just that, retracing my steps and so I then changed my focus to the Checkmate as being the problem, even though the machine was making the network connection and placing the Network icon on the screen.

And there it was.... In the C drawer.. or not as it turned out there were no NETPATCH, NetSTAT or netpnet-server [ though this last one should be in L ]. And I simply copied the files over from the 2000 cus the Checkmate could see the 2000. Rebooted and like magic it all worked and now the A2000 has the Network icon on the screen.

The moral here was that when dealing with Networks always remember to look at all the computers involved, not just the one you think has the problem. It wasn't the 2000 that was at fault it was the Checkmate not giving access.

So NETPATCH and NetSTAT was the problem, just make sure they are in C on both computers.

Thanks for reading