LocalTalk

LocalTalk is a physical networking protocol and it is a Local Area Network protocol that defines the AppleTalk packet transmission over a cabling system at the speed up to 230.4Kbit/sec. In the start LocalTalk was originally named AppleTalk; however, in the year 1989 the Apple changed the name to LocalTalk, as the name AppleTalk was assigned to the Apple Computer’s network architecture. This computer’s network architecture is equipped with all the protocol necessary to operate on the LocalTalk Physical networks.

The first, original LocalTalk system was specifically designed for joining few Macintosh computers present then with the Apple LaserWriter printers as there was no other means to connect them. The data rate in the LocalTalk as one can see is very slow, only 230.4 Kbit/sec, still in the world today this feature is quite important as most of the Macintosh computers built today still make use of this feature and without it, it may be impossible to connect to certain devices. LocalTalk is implemented in the physical bus topology which is then wired with the twisted pair telephone wire in a daisy chain configuration.

When the network is made up using the LocalTalk then the network limit cannot exceed more than a 1000 feet however additional networks can be attached to this one LocalTalk network by the making use of routers, switches, bridges or repeaters. Still the number of networks that can be connected to this single network cannot exceed by 30, as after this the network won’t be able to function at all as even after just 20 nodes the performance of the network starts to degrade rapidly.

Even after all of its drawbacks the reason that this LocalTalk is so popular is that it is cheap and easy to install and maintain and there are negligible operational costs.