TOPIC -----------------------------------------
Is it true that a box, like the GatorBox and FastPath, can act in two
modes, both operating at the same time if necessary?
DISCUSSION ------------------------------------
It is true that a FastPath (and a GatorBox) can be both a protocol
converter and an AppleTalk router.
These modes are as a simple router and as a gateway. As a simple router, it
takes AppleTalk packets from one physical network (like LocalTalk) and
routes them to another physical network (like EtherTalk). As a gateway, it
takes data from a TCP/IP network and converts it to AppleTalk protocols
(encapsulating the TCP/IP packet in an AppleTalk packet) at the same time
as sending from one physical network to another in the same manner as the
router aspect.
A vocabulary note: A gateway performs protocol conversion, like
AppleTalk to TCP/IP. A bridge connects two physical networks as one
logical network. In AppleTalk terms, this would mean that both physical
networks would have the same network number. A router connects two physical
networks and maintains them as separate logical networks. In AppleTalk
terms, this means that each network has different network numbers although
they may or may not be in the same zone.