| These pages are set up to help you configure your Macintosh computer. You will also find some tips and tricks that may help you along the way. | |
| Config PPP? MacTCP?
PPP? OT? There are two software components needed to get on the Internet. You need a dialer to dial your modem and establish a connection, and you need some networking software in order to communicate across that connection. The original networking software is a set of software consisting of MacPPP and MacTCP. The MacPPP is the "dialer" part of the set while the MacTCP is the "networking" part of the set. MacPPP consists of an extension called PPP and a program used to configure it called (of all things) ConfigPPP. So, ConfigPPP is used to establish a connection and MacTCP enables communication across that connection with the rest of the Internet. The newer software from Apple replaced MacTCP (the "networking" part of the set) and is called Open Transport (OT). Open Transport proved to be more flexible and faster. Open Transport first starting appearing in MacOS 7.5.2 and consisted of several extensions beginning with some form of Open Transport (e.g. OpenTptInternetLib, OpenTransportLib, etc.) and a Control Panel called TCP/IP. Since this new software just replaced MacTCP, the MacPPP part of the set would still provide the "dialer" to Open Transport until Apple released a new "dialer" called (appropriately) just PPP. PPP was designed from the ground up to work with (and only with) Open Transport. PPP consisted of two Control Panels; one call PPP and one called Modems. |
MacTCP or Open Transport? If you aren't sure whether or not you are using Apple's original networking software (MacTCP) or their newer networking software (Open Transport), here's how to tell:
If you have a Control Panel called MacTCP, then you are using Apples original networking software. If you have Control Panel called TCP/IP, then you are using Open Transport. |
