-------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOV-COM2.DOC -- 19980316 -- Email thread on Netware & Serial Communication -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feel free to add or edit this document and then email it back to faq@jelyon.com Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 14:13:10 EDT From: Kelly Stevens Subject: Netware Connect remote software... WanderLink >>Getting ready to install for the first time NWC, does anyone have >>anything to say regarding the installation of the product. Good or Bad I hated Netware Connect. I went with WanderLink 2.1 by Funk Software. It was too easy to install and very easy to set up the clients. The draw back was it was for dialing into the server only.. But they just added that... last week... 12/4/96 They just sent me a post card for free upgrades to ver. 2.2 which allows dial out of server and server fax support. very nice news... I will report on the ver. 2.2 later... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 17:38:59 -0800 From: emillan@ibm.net To: netw4-l@bgu.edu Subject: Re: Netware Connec >On our Netware Connect v2 file server the total NW Connect licenses are >250 with 8 ports. > >Can we simply add another Digi board to add some more ports without >upgrading the license? Are you sure that's 250 users license on NetWare Connect not NetWare OS? If so, YES you can add more digi board without adding more license. Keep in mind the licensing on NetWare Connect is based on number of modems or ports you can provide to your users. Check your license within NetWare Connect Configuration ( LOAD NWCCON ), Then select "Set Up NetWare Connect" option from the main menu, Then select "Manage Licenses" Here it will display your installed serial numbers as well as Total Licenses and actual NetWare Connect Ports. If your NetWare Connect Ports is lower than your Total Licenses, then you can add that much more modems to your NetWare Connect. If they both the same then, it's time to purchase more license if you are planning to expand your ports. --------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 12:06:04 GMT From: Keith Bastin To: netw4-l@bgu.edu Subject: Re: Netware Connec >>On our Netware Connect v2 file server the total NW Connect licenses are >>250 with 8 ports. >> >>Can we simply add another Digi board to add some more ports without >>upgrading the license? > >If I understand what you're say, then yes. > >This is what I understand: > >From NWCCON.NLM, you select Setup NetWare Connect then Manage Licenses. >At this point, it shows the serial number of all licenses installed. In >the upper right of the C-Worthy screen is has a "dialog box" with: > --------------------------------- > | Total License: X | > | NetWare Connect Ports: Y | > --------------------------------- > where X = 250 and Y = 8 (250 licenses and 8 ports). Since Netware Connect does not a 250 user version it seems unlikely that the 250 that he is talking about is Netware Connect ports but much more likely that it is a user license count for Netware. There is NO relationship between the USER COUNT of Netware and the PORT COUNT for Netware Connect (Ports can be accessible to 100,000 users but only 1 user can access a particular port at a time. Thus the software is licensed based on PORTS) Netware Connect is licensed in "powers of 2" (2, 8, 16, 32, (64?) but with additive licensing it is (Possible but unlikely) to arrive at 250. Anyone who purchased multiple licenses to provide 250 ports while only intending to provide 8-16 ports was robbed (in a big way).... In NWCCON under licensing (It's not in front of me so I can't recall the exact menu location) You can see how many PORTS you are authorized to use. (Alternately it is printed on the configuration report that you SHOULD print out and store with your network documentation.) Assuming it is an 8 count (Which hopefully it is) then it would be a simple matter of purchasing a second 8 user license of NWConnect and adding it to the first. (This assumes also that we are talking about Netware Connect 2.0 (and above) Netware Connect 1.0 does NOT support additive licensing therefore 16 licenses would need to be purchased to replace the 8, (It would likely be cheaper to upgrade to the latest version anyway at that point...) Once the license issue is resolved you can add the other 8 ports. BTW, Depending on you digiboard you may not need to add another board. Most of the digiboards that have "PORTS" modules can support 2 PORTS modules with the internal power supply or up to 4 PORTS modules (Daisy chained) with additional (external) power supplies. If you are using the PC8em or PC8im you would need to buy a second card but I'd recommend looking at the newer models that support the external boxes rather than the octopus cables. (They cost about the same but are more versatile). ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 10:14:22 +0100 From: Petr Jaklin <3net@3NET.ANET.CZ> Subject: Re: TELNET client (NLM) - solved >I have asked for simple telneting from NW server some days ago. >I found nothing, so I made simple TEL.NLM myself. > >Would someone be interested, do email me. Because of interest, I sent it to netlab2.esu.edu as telnet.zip. It is now in sys/anonftp/incoming directory. If I understand the business, Mr.Doupnik moves it to sys/anonftp/apps directory in near future (thank you, Mr Doupnik). --------- Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 15:38:27 +0100 From: Gabor Borsodi Subject: Re: Telnet (TEL.NLM) -Reply >What I was hoping for when I initally read about this NLM was a way to >telnet into a netware server and gain access to the console prompt. > >Is there a way to create a telnetd.nlm that would do that? Besides xconsole, etc by Novell, Murkworks has such a daemon. You may find a demo at: ftp://ftp.let.rug.nl/murkworks/tconsole/tconsole.zip ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 08:29:19 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Need Telnet -Reply >>i have installed a pc-anywhere gateway. It connects a modem to the local >>ethernet to different novell-servers. It worked great for years. Now i have to >>connect to a unix-system (5 sun-solaris boxes). So i installed the tcpip-stack >>from lan-workplace (vlmup6 or something ?). A couple of minutes later i could >>ping to my unix-system. But now i need a DOS-terminal-emulator or something to >>log in to my unix-system. In windows i can connect with telnet and a program >>called keaterm wich "talks" telnet but for dos. Could someone make me happy >>with such a program (an ftp-site ?). >>tia > >You could use Joe D.'s MS-Kermit. Just load up a little >TSR called ODIPKT and then you can run MS-Kermit >to connect to your Unix system. > >See www.columbia.edu for downloading, or I'm sure >Joe will respond and give you a more detailed location >for the files. > >MS-Kermit works great under DOS. It even works decently >under Windows too. I've been using it for 4 years. > >Clay Gibney ------- Ok, here's the pointer. MS-DOS Kermit current release is v3.14. Version 3.15 is near the end of open beta testing and is recommended over v3.14. The current beta 18 is at kermit.columbia.edu in directory kermit2/test/bin, file msk315.zip (a binary file). www.columbia.edu/kermit gets the regular Kermit home page. ODIPKT is needed only if running MSK in Windows. MSK is a native ODI client, the same as is IPXODI from Novell. It is also a native Packet Driver client. To use MSK with Client32 for DOS/Windows be sure to run protected to real mode shim PDOSETH (or PDOSTOK etc) and LSL.COM. Questions and comments can go to the Kermit NEWS group, named comp.protocols.kermit.misc. The user's manual is the commercial book "Using MS-DOS Kermit", details of which are listed on the screen of the Kermit HELP command. I have perhaps one more item to add to MSK, depending on my time available. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 18:07:42 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: 2 SCSI cards using same IRQ -Reply >>I have a Prosignia 300 server with two Adaptec 2742 controllers. This >>brings the system to 5 SCSI channels (the Adaptecs have 2 channels >>each.) The HD subsystem runs from the onboard Compaq channel. We >>are running a tape drive on one Adaptec controller and an old, old optical >>drive on the other. (Using only the external channels on each ctrlr.) This >>setup absolutely WILL NOT work with shared interrupts. Believe me, we >>tried in the beginning. Now we have one board on IRQ 10 and the other >>on IRQ 11. All is stable. > >You have an interesting decision, one that can be answered by two >cliches. #1: If it aint broke, don't fix it. #2: Why tempt fate? I tend >to prefer #2 in this case. If I had a spare IRQ lying around, I'd use it. > >Has anyone ever shared interupts between cards without any problems? Any >insight/experience/suggestions on this issue would be greatly appreciated. > >Shawn Rappaport (CNE) --------- Tiny story time again. Shared interrupts and Compaq. Years ago I designed into MS-DOS Kermit handling of shared interrupts for serial ports. It's easy, if one knows what to do. But I received messages from Compaq/Austrialia that MSK failed on their machines and please fix. It turned out that those machines had Bios code which disabled ports reporting interrupts that the Bios did not want to see. Because the Bios owned the serial ports before Kermit got them, and if a stray non-UART interrupt occurred (and they did with those machines), MSK passed handling to the previous owner (the Bios in this case). Thus one stray and the Bios disabled the serial port. I removed the sharing code from MSK. Not only must software be written to share interrupts but the hardware must support them too. ISA bus hardware does not in 99 out of 100 cases, so don't even try. EISA and PCI bus often can, and level triggering is best. But even then peripheral boards can generate stray interrupts and generally make a terrible mess of their own under stress that sharing is not a good idea. Mix in peculiar Compaq Bioses and we have a receipe for trouble. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 12:52:18 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Good DOS-TELNET under Client32 TCP/IP Stacks ? >I'm searching for a good Telnet application that runs under DOS with >CLIENT32. By Good, I mean Keyboard Remapping with Full VT220 support. >Any suggestions ? --------- You're on the Novell listserver, and I'll bet dollars to donuts that you haven't explored the list's FAQ for answers. You may look at the native ODI application named MS-DOS Kermit. It exceeds your brief specifications. Not only is it amongst the better terminal emulators around but it has the best keyboard mapping, bar none. VT220 is a subset. Please try version 3.15 beta, found by going to kermit.columbia.edu with ftp, cd kermit2/test/bin for binary file msk315.zip. The current formal release is in kermit/msdos. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 10:07:43 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: TNVT220 problem... > I istalled a TCP stack (tcp16.exe) and I try to use telnet client >tnvt220. tnvt220 connects to Unix server but says immediately: > Unable to load character set,file HOSTTOPC.MAP not found... >The file .map is placed in the same directory and I downloaded it via >ftp. > What is exactely this file? -------- There is probably no map for your active Code Page. I see maps for only CP437 and you are using probably CP850. So try CHCP 437 at the DOS prompt and see if that helps Lan WorkPlace find files. If that too fails then try MS-DOS Kermit. It has its own ODI compatible TCP/IP stack, and it can, if you really insist, run on top of LWP/DOS. It has much more extensive character set support. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 09:26:24 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Stil having problem with MS Kermit 3.14-15 >>I'm still unable to make MS Kermit work with my Client32/DOS. I tried >>several things. Is there someone here who can explain me what to do >>exactly or point me on good docs on installing it with Client32. >> >what's in your startnet.bat? > >if you're loading tcpip.NLM then you /CANNOT/ use the ODI driver >interface in MS-Kermit; You can use TELAPI instead Nope, incorrect. MSK runs perfectly as an ODI client with Novell's Client32 for DOS/Win3.1. Please see PDOSETH.COM (or PDOSTOK or PDOSFDDI) as the protected to real mode bridge for ODI clients. MSK uses it. Yes, MSK can also run over TELAPI from Lan WorkPlace for DOS, but one loses functionality and speed. And it is for Novell's real mode TCP/IP stack at which point you might as well unload it and use MSK directly. Section S.55 of the list's FAQ has the construction details. > >the IP-type (0x0800 in the type field) packets come into the >ODI driver stack, and need to be delivered to one 'consumer' of such >packets. If you've loaded TCPIP.NLM it gets them. and MS-Kermit cannot. > Yes. And ARP type 0806 too. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 14:47:34 -0500 From: James E Borchart Subject: Re: nwc 2.0.x performance? I have a lot of experience with NetWare Connect. Here are my thoughts: >I just installed Netware Connect v2.0.28 on a client's site. I guess >I must say I'm somewhat underwhelmed by its throuput. > >* What kind of througput should I expect? I was disappointed that it was >so slow...getting a directory or running even a dos util like cx is >painful. You should expect performance to be at about 28800bps, 14400bps on older modems, and 33600bps on the newest modems. This is, you have to realize, roughly 1/1000th the performance of an ethernet LAN. You should always copy all applications, such as the above mentioned CX.EXE, to the local hard disk. Do not ever run any .EXE file over the dial-up link on such a slow link. The CX.EXE that comes with 4.11 should take about 50-75 seconds to be transmitted over a modem link. >* Are novell's aio.nlm's kinda cheesy? They don't seem to like fast >modem's very much. Even with 16550 uart's, novell limits connection speed >to 19.2. Novell, and many others discussing in many internet forums, think that the built-in com ports on PC's stink. If you are looking for real performance get a multi-port serial board. For now, use the MAXRATE=115200 to up the rate on the built-in com ports you are using. >* Anybody know the primary issue in NWC performance? This thing is a >stand-alone comm server..doing nothing really exept 1) being up as 4.11 >server, 2) answering the phone. The speed of the modem is the one and only performance issue with Connect, Shiva, Cisco, etc. This is why so many people are working on exotic technologies like X2, ADSL and Cable modems. Copying all EXE's and DLL's and MSG files to the local hard disk will help you immensely. >* Side-by-side testing of RAS on nt 4.0 showed it be about 2x as fast in >real life...doing directories and stuff...what's up with that? I would say that this is exclusively the MAXRATE command, esp if you are seeing 2x. Setting this should get your performance comparison with RAS to be +/-10% >ANy thoughts? Or am I expection too much from IPX over PPP? Or is it the >win95 PPP client that is cheesy? (However, its the only way that makes >sense under 95.) My connect servers all run with great performance (for dialup) and run at the best speed possible all of the time, usually about 50000 baud when transferring uncompressed files. Even with 16 people dialed in at one time to a 486/66 I still get best possible speed. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:53:46 -0400 From: James E Borchart Subject: Re: Communications Server Questions >We are in the beginning stages of a project to assemble a communications server >to support both dialin/dialout and fax services. > >Right now, I am leaning towards NetWare Connect for dialin/dialout and >Cheyenne's FaxServe for the FAX services. > >I have a few questions about each of these products. > >1) Does NetWare Connect support COM port redirection with NT 3.51/4.0 for >dialout? > >2) What is the best modem solution for these products? We are considering a >digiboard, or perhaps one of those internal 4 modem ISA cards (MultiTech makes >one that seems decent). Anyone have any particular opinions in this area? > >3) Is a cc:Mail gateway available for FaxServe? > >4) What hardware requirements would be needed for this configuration. We plan >to have a P100 w/ 144MB (Compaq Proliant 1500R) act as our comm server plus run >a very small (10 user) btrieve database. I am guessing that we will support no >more 8 modems. Is this sufficient? > >5) For remote administration, can I run utilities like RConsole across NetWare >connect. Using NT 4.0 RAS and the Novell NT Client, I can run NWAdmin fine, >but I can't get RConsole to work. I get an error about IPX not being >initialized. > >6) What client software is needed to get dialin IP access via NetWare >Connect? How about IPX? 1) Yes, it works fabulously too. 2) I recommend using a multi-port serial board, but EXTERNAL modems (so that they can be replaced, upgraded, et al.) I always recommend using top of the line commercial modems, such as the US Robotics Courier. 4) Connect 2.0 requires 24MB total ram on a netware server. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 19:47:20 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Servers Internet Connection >We have two locations that will each be using 4.11. Can someone please give >me a little guidance in planning how we can access each server from the >other location via the Internet? ------- Lease a line. You positively do not want to consider using the Internet as a link between file servers. There is no security, time delays will be out of sight, there is not that much capacity. NW/IP or IP Tunnel both use UDP/IP datagrams, send and forget things, with no flow control and very long timers to discover packets did not make the trip (which will be frequent on congested paths). NetWare's NDS will simply fail from massive outages if run this way. Lease a private line with the bandwidth you require. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 15:18:39 +0100 From: Petr Jaklin <3net@3NET.ANET.CZ> Subject: Re: Telnet and Novell 3.1x >Is there any way to set up a Novell 3.1x server to be a telnet host? Yes, I use it on about 30 servers. No problem on 3.12, you only need to spend your time and find modules from 4.x to copy. They are sure XCONSOLE.NLM, TELNETD.NLM, NETDB.NLM and NWCCSS.NLM. You should use last TCPIP.NLM and SNMP.NLM. On 3.11 there is problem: several of these modules are packed and 3.11 has no decompression system. But there is UNPACK.EXE in SDK by which you can unpack NLMs and use unpacked. Advantage of XCONSOLE is you can manage server from another server. You only need NLM Telnet client (on my home page). Disadvantage is that several color / char combinations are invisible. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 08:49:32 -0400 From: Andy Wyman Subject: Re: NW and Dial up networking Windows 95 does not allow you to connect to two IPX networks simultaneously. If you make a dial-up IPX connection, you will loose your LAN IPX connection. This limitation holds, regardless if you have IPX bound to two LAN cards or to a LAN card and dial-up adapter. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 20:14:06 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Connecting LANs over Internet >Our company has several remote offices (running IntranetWare 4.11) with >each office having a 56K connection to the Internet. What would be the >best (and least expensive) way to connect each of the sites together to >form a corporate WAN connected over the Internet? > >I know that Border Manager is one option because it has VPN functionality >built into it. But from what I've read about it, it can be somewhat >expensive and appears to require its own dedicated PC. -------- In such cases my first recommendation is you hire a local communications consultant who is fully knowlegable about tariffs and services in your area (main site and the regional offices). That alone governs line prices. You absolutely do not want to even dream of using the Internet as a private line to join servers. Please do forget all about it. Acquire private (leased) lines or frame relay or similar (see consultant comment above). Then hire a competent NetWare consultant to deal with the serious problem of maintain NDS contact over long distances and low bandwidth. Keep in mind that cheap lines, particularly frame relay, are cheap for good reason: they are crummy and everyone involved suffers. Joe D. --------- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 23:49:57 +0100 From: "Arthur B." Subject: Re: Connecting LANs over Internet >Our company has several remote offices (running IntranetWare 4.11) with >each office having a 56K connection to the Internet. What would be the >best (and least expensive) way to connect each of the sites together to >form a corporate WAN connected over the Internet? Use e-mail only. Set up an automatic interval of, say, a half hour and 98% of your connection problems are over. If you make use of a dedicated line to your ISP you can even shorten the interval. Then 'remote printing'. Simply create an e-mail account with 'auto-printing on receive'. Leaves 'remote control'. Products like PCAnyWhere already have the option to 'remote control' over the Internet. >I know that Border Manager is one option because it has VPN functionality >built into it. But from what I've read about it, it can be somewhat >expensive and appears to require its own dedicated PC. And those are just the start-up costs. Please add the hidden costs produced by user wait-time, time-outs, etc. Having a 56K line seems OK until you're sending a 10Mb file over Internet with an average throughput of 240bytes/sec. >Any suggestions or comments on personal experiences using the Internet to >connect sites will be greatly appreciated. Simply put: a disaster. A basic rule about costs: If it's out of your control it will get out of control. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Nov 1997 17:59:20 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Packet Driver + 32 Bit Client >I have a weird problem, if I use the 32 bit client using winsock. >I cannot run a older version of kermit that runs off a packet driver. > >Is there a way to run a packet driver and the 32 bit client at the >same time. I tried several variations but failed. Can you please >help, is this even possible ?? Also, can you please help point in the >direction where I can get information on what a packet driver is Versus >what a odipkt driver is Versus what it means to run on winsock. ---------- Didn't we go over this topic about a week or so ago? First, there are TWO (2) kinds of Client32: one for DOS/Win3.1 and another for Win95. They aren't the same. If you are discussing Win95 then just use the MS or Novell 32 bit TCP/IP stack. Otherwise use Novell supplied converter pdoseth.com to form a 16-bit ODI interface. Like this: File c:\novell\client32\startnet.bat - SET NWLANGUAGE=ENGLISH C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\NIOS.EXE LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\LSLC32.NLM LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\CMSM.NLM LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\ETHERTSM.NLM LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\E100B.LAN slot=10001 SPEED=0 FORCEDUPLEX=0 IOMAPMODE=0 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.2 LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\E100B.LAN slot=10001 FRAME=ETHERNET_802.3 LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\E100B.LAN slot=10001 FRAME=ETHERNET_II LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\E100B.LAN slot=10001 FRAME=ETHERNET_SNAP LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\IPX.NLM LOAD C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\CLIENT32.NLM C:\qemm\loadhi c:\novell\client32\lsl.com C:\QEMM\LOADHI C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\PDOSETH And part of c:\novell\client32\net.cfg - Link Driver pdoseth Frame Ethernet_II Protocol IPX 8137 Ethernet_II Protocol IP 0800 Ethernet_II Protocol ARP 0806 Ethernet_II Protocol RARP 8035 Ethernet_II Frame Ethernet_SNAP Frame Ethernet_802.3 Frame Ethernet_802.2 Notice that pdoseth becomes a fake lan driver (MLID) to which protocol stacks may bind. You need not include all four frame kinds in the pdoseth section, though I have them to use Lanalyzer. But to use pdoseth one must have all four frame kinds loaded for the 32 bit lan driver. To run Packet Driver apps in Win3.1 apply ODIPKT and WINPKT on the top of pdoseth (load after pdoseth). To run MS-DOS Kermit outside of Windows do just the Novell part above; to run in Win3.1 do the odipkt+winpkt part too. Never run two TCP/IP stacks over the same board at the same time; it won't work. ODIPKT is an ODI to Packet Driver converter, providing a Packet Driver interface for programs while using ODI to supply the lan driver material. Winsock is a Windows-only TCP/IP stack, each vendor providing a different set of files which don't interoperate well. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 15:06:58 -0600 From: Joe Doupnik Subject: Re: Packet Driver + 32 Bit Client >>>I have a weird problem, if I use the 32 bit client using winsock. >>>I cannot run a older version of kermit that runs off a packet driver. > >The MS-DOS version of Kermit will not run under WIN95. ------ Wanna bet? We do it all the time, happily and well. Maybe you have a TCP/IP stack loaded already, say a winsock. If so may I shout yet again: never run two protocol stacks of the same kind over the same lan adapter at the same time. Packets are delivered once only. Joe D. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:08:18 -0600 From: James E Borchart Subject: Re: Access Control for Stand-alone PC's If you are trying to evaluate system access control utilities, I would recommend looking at: http://www.winfiles.com/apps/98/access-control.html ------------------------------